A new study has linked the side effects of energy drinks to severe heart problems that caffeine alone may not be responsible for.
Free Confidential Lawsuit Evaluation: If you or a loved one was injured by energy drink side effects, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a suit and our lawyers can help.
What’s the Problem?
April 27, 2017 – To examine the effects of energy drink ingredients on the heart, researchers looked at physical changes in a cohort of 18 healthy men and women after consuming a commercial energy drink and after drinking another beverage with the same amount of caffeine but none of the other ingredients.
They measured the participants’ blood pressure and used an electrocardiogram (ECG) to measure heart electrical activity for 24 hours after the subjects consumed the drinks.
An ECG change known as QTc prolongation which is sometimes associated with life-threatening changes in the heartbeat was observed after consuming the energy drink, but not after drinking the caffeinated beverage, the researchers found.
Blood pressure rose by nearly 5 points after consuming the energy drink, but by less than 1 point after consuming the caffeine drink. Blood pressure also remained elevated 6 hours later.
These side effects are of little consequence to healthy people, but patients with certain heart conditions should exercise caution when consuming energy drinks, the researchers said.
“The energy drink industry claims that their products are safe because they have no more caffeine than a premium coffee house coffee,” said Dr. Jennifer L. Harris from University of Connecticut’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity in Storrs, who wasn’t involved in the study. “However, energy drinks also contain a proprietary ‘energy blend,’ which typically consists of stimulants and other additives.”
The study’s authors concluded that larger studies are needed to evaluate the safety of the non-caffeine ingredients contained in energy drinks.
Do I Have an Energy Drink Class Action Lawsuit?
The Class Action Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in energy drink lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new injury and death cases in all 50 states.
Free Case Evaluation: Again, if you were harmed by energy drink health risks, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to a settlement by filing a suit and we can help.