A new study has found energy drinks can cause heart
problems.
Professor Drici said: "So-called 'energy drinks' are
popular in dance clubs and during physical exercise, with people sometimes
consuming a number of drinks one after the other. This situation can lead to a
number of adverse conditions including angina, cardiac arrhythmia (irregular
heartbeat) and even sudden death."
He added: "Around 96% of these drinks contain caffeine,
with a typical 0.25 litre can holding 2 espressos worth of caffeine. Caffeine
is one of the most potent agonists of the ryanodine receptors and leads to a
massive release of calcium within cardiac cells. This can cause arrhythmias,
but also has effects on the heart's abilities to contract and to use oxygen. In
addition, 52% of drinks contain taurine, 33% have glucuronolactone and
two-thirds contain vitamins."
Dr Drici continued: "In 2008 energy drinks were granted
marketing authorisation in France. In 2009 this was accompanied by a national
nutritional surveillance scheme which required national health agencies and
regional centres to send information on spontaneously reported adverse events
to the A.N.S.E.S, the French agency for food safety."
The current study analysed adverse events reported to the
agency between 1 January 2009 and 30 November 2012. Some 15 specialists
including cardiologists, psychiatrists, neurologists and physiologists
contributed to the investigation. The findings were compared to published data
in the scientific literature.
The researchers found that consumption of the 103 energy
drinks in France increased by 30% between 2009 and 2011 up to over 30 million
litres. The leading brand made up 40% of energy drinks consumed. Two-thirds of
drinks were consumed away from home.
During the two year period 257 cases were reported to the
agency, of which 212 provided sufficient information for food and drug safety
evaluation. The experts found that 95 of the reported adverse events had
cardiovascular symptoms, 74 psychiatric, and 57 neurological, sometimes
overlapping. Cardiac arrests and sudden or unexplained deaths occurred at least
in 8 cases, while 46 people had heart rhythm disorders, 13 had angina and 3 had
hypertension.
Dr Drici said: "We found that 'caffeine syndrome' was
the most common problem, occurring in 60 people. It is characterised by a fast
heart rate (called tachycardia), tremor, anxiety and headache.
Rare but severe adverse events were also associated with
these drinks, such as sudden or unexplained death, arrhythmia and heart attack
(myocardial infarction). Our literature search confirmed that these conditions
can be related to consumption of energy drinks."
He added: "Patients with cardiac conditions including
catecholaminergic arrhythmias, long QT syndrome and angina should be aware of
the potential danger of a large intake of caffeine, which is a stimulant that
can exacerbate their condition with possibly fatal consequences."
Dr Drici continued: "The general public need to know
that so-called 'energy drinks' have absolutely no place during or after
physical exercise, as compared with other drinks designed for that purpose.
When used in long alcoholic cocktails, the caffeine in 'energy drinks' enables
young people in dance clubs or elsewhere to overcome the unwanted effects of
alcohol, leading to an even greater intake of caffeine."
He concluded: "Patients rarely mention consumption of
energy drinks to their doctors unless they are asked. Doctors should warn
patients with cardiac conditions about the potential dangers of these drinks
and ask young people in particular whether they consume such drinks on a
regular basis or through binge drinking."
Source : medindia.net
No comments:
Post a Comment