VIDEO – WHO CAN YOU TRUST? –
June 6, 2024 – For the study, the team examined 144 sudden cardiac arrest survivors. Seven patients within this group had consumed one or more energy drinks near to the time that the cardiac event occurred. The study did not prove that drinking energy drinks directly causes cardiac arrest, the scientists warn people—especially those who may be genetically at risk of heart problems—should consume them in moderation. Lead investigator of the study Michael J. Ackerman, a genetic cardiologist at Mayo Clinic, said in a statement: “Although the relative risk is small and the absolute risk of sudden death after consuming an energy drink is even smaller, patients with a known sudden death predisposing genetic heart disease should weigh the risks and benefits of consuming such drinks in the balance.”
“While there seemed to be a temporal relationship between energy drink consumption and the seven patients’ sudden cardiac arrest event, a myriad of potential ‘agitators’ that could have also contributed to a genetic heart disease-associated arrhythmia occurred, like sleep deprivation, dehydration, dieting or extreme fasting, concomitant use of QT-prolonging drugs, or the postpartum period,” he said.
