A young man’s heart problems can be caused by his excessive consumption of energy drinks – he ends up in hospital with heart failure after consuming four energy drinks a day for two years, according to a new report from the case.
The findings contribute to a growing body of evidence related to consumption of energy drinks with heart problems, which leads the authors to ask for warnings about the dangers of drinking these drinks in large quantities.
According to the report, which was published on Thursday (April 15), the 21-year-old man went to the hospital after gradually getting worse for four months, as well as losing weight. BMJ case reports.
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He drank four 500 milliliter cans of energy drinks every day for about four years, with each can of 160 mg caffeine. (A typical cup of coffee contains about 90 mg of caffeine.)
The man remembered that he occasionally had episodes of indigestion, tremors and a rapid heartbeat, which he did not take care of in the past. He had been feeling so unwell and sluggish for the past few months that he had to discontinue his university studies, according to the doctors ‘report at St Thomas’ Hospital in London.
After an avalanche of tests, the man was diagnosed with two potentially life-threatening conditions: heart failure and kidney failure. Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs; and kidney failure occurs when the kidneys are unable to properly filter waste products from the blood. In the man’s case, it appears that the two conditions are not related, but each had serious consequences. The man’s doctors discussed whether he needed a double (heart and kidney) organ transplant.
His renal failure was due to a long-term but previously undiagnosed condition called chronic obstructive uropathy, when urine cannot drain through the urinary tract and thus backs up into the kidneys.
His doctors have considered a number of possible causes for his heart failure, including ‘broken heart syndrome, “when the main pumping chamber of the heart is enlarged and weakened, and myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart. However, none of the conditions match the man’s history and test results. The most likely explanation for his heart failure was his high level of energy drink consumption. , the authors have come to the conclusion, although they cannot prove it with certainty.
Previous studies have linked the use of energy drinks to cardiovascular effects, including high blood pressure and abnormal heart rhythms. There have been several reports of young people having heart attacks and heart rhythm problems after consuming energy drinks. Live Science reported earlier.
After 58 days in hospital, the man was cleared to go home and was prescribed several heart medications. He stopped drinking energy drinks completely and his heart function improved so much that his doctors say he does not currently need a heart transplant. However, he will probably need a kidney transplant in the future.
Some people may be prone to heart problems due to energy drinks due to underlying biological factors, although more research is needed to determine what these factors are, the authors said.
“This case further highlights the potential cardiovascular dangers of energy drinks in susceptible individuals,” the authors wrote. “Clear warnings need to be given about the potential cardiovascular dangers of consuming energy drinks in large quantities,” they concluded.
Originally published on Live Science.