Medical doctors have cautioned the public against the heavy consumption of energy drinks citing risk of heart disease and risk of stroke.
The warning was made known by doctors in Nottingham, England after a man in his 50s, previously described as healthy, had a stroke that left him with permanent numbness in his hands and feet, after reportedly consuming an average of eight energy drinks per day.
Doctors treating the patient discovered that his daily caffeine intake reached approximately 1,200mg, three times higher than the recommended maximum of 400mg. On admission to hospital, his blood pressure was recorded at 254/150mmHg, which doctors described as critically high. He was treated with medication to lower his blood pressure.
Despite his treatment, his blood pressure increased after he was discharged.
Following medical advice, the patient stopped consuming energy drinks, after which his blood pressure returned to normal, and he no longer required blood pressure-lowering medication.
The case, published in BMJ Case Reports, has prompted calls from doctors for tighter regulation of the sale and advertising of energy drinks.
“It was therefore thought to be likely that the patient’s consumption of highly potent energy drinks was, at least in part, a contributive factor to his secondary hypertension (high blood pressure) and in turn his stroke,” the doctors wrote in BMJ Case Reports.
However, speaking anonymously, he did not fully recover.
He said: “I obviously wasn’t aware of the dangers drinking energy drinks were causing to myself. [I] have been left with numbness [in my] left-hand side hand and fingers, foot and toes even after eight years.”
“There is regular publicity about health effects of alcohol and smoking, but little about the increasingly prevalent modifiable lifestyle trend of energy drink (ED) consumption,” the doctors said.
They added: “As our case and discussion illustrate, it is possible that both acute and chronic intake of EDs may increase CVD (cardiovascular disease) and stroke risk, and importantly, this may be reversible.
“While the current evidence is not conclusive, given the accumulating literature, the high morbidity and mortality associated with stroke and CVD and the well-documented adverse health effects of high-sugar drinks, we propose that increased regulation of ED sales and advertising campaigns (which are often targeted at younger ages) could be beneficial to the future cerebrovascular and cardiovascular health of our society.
“Additionally, healthcare professionals should consider specific questioning related to ED consumption in young patients presenting with stroke or unexplained hypertension.”
Millions of people around the world regularly consume energy drinks, which are non-alcoholic beverages containing more than 150mg of caffeine per litre, high levels of sugar, and varying amounts of other chemical additives.
