Health · Medical Research · 1 hr ago
Study links energy drinks and stimulant supplements to cardiac emergencies
Researchers analyzed more than 28,000 reports of adverse effects involving energy drinks and stimulant supplements sent to the US Food and Drug Administration from 2017 to 2025.
Cardiac arrests were about 11 times more frequent in reports involving these products than in reports involving products without caffeine or other stimulants.
The analysis also found more reports of heart attacks, abnormal heart rhythms, chest pain and fainting.
Nearly half of the heart-emergency reports involved adults aged 18 to 34, though researchers could not explain why this age group appeared so often.
The findings are from reports of adverse effects and do not establish that the products caused each emergency.
Energy drinks can contain high amounts of caffeine, and some pre-workout supplements contain even more per ounce than coffee.
Regular users may quickly exceed the recommended daily caffeine limit; up to 400 milligrams a day is generally considered safe for most adults.
The study is due to be presented at an American Heart Association meeting in Chicago, and researchers say more systematic safety monitoring is needed.
A study found that FDA reports linked caffeinated energy drinks and stimulant supplements to more reported cardiac problems than reports involving products without these stimulants.
Cardiac arrest was reported about 11 times more often, heart attacks 4.5 times more often and heart rhythm problems four times more often.
Among the reports linking the products to cardiac emergencies, 45% involved adults aged 18 to 34.
Researchers analyzed more than 28,000 adverse-effect reports submitted to the FDA from 2017 to 2025.
The findings are due to be presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions in Chicago.
- Who
- Researchers led by Sai Samayamanthula at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.
- What
- A study found that reports involving caffeinated energy drinks and stimulant supplements more often included cardiac problems.
- When
- The study analyzed reports from 2017 to 2025 and is due to be presented on Saturday at the AHA meeting. The articles were published on November 2, 2026.
- Where
- The reports were submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration; the study is due to be presented in Chicago.
- Why
- The study examined whether reports involving these products were more likely to include cardiac events than reports involving products without caffeine or other stimulants.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Researchers analyzed more than 28,000 adverse-effect reports involving energy drinks and stimulant supplements submitted to the FDA.
The American Heart Association published a scientific statement that up to 400 milligrams of caffeine daily is generally considered safe for most adults.
Infobae and ANSA published reports on the study.
The study is due to be presented at an American Heart Association meeting in Chicago.
- Reports analyzed
- More than 28,000 FDA adverse-effect reports
- Report period
- 2017–2025
- Young adults
- 45% of cardiac-emergency reports involved people aged 18–34
- Cardiac arrest
- About 11 times more frequent in reports involving the products
- Heart attack
- 4.5 times more frequent in reports involving the products
- Daily caffeine level
- Up to 400 mg generally considered safe for most adults
3 sources
What people are saying
These products are marketed as a way to recover energy every day and are sold alongside soft drinks and bottled water, so most people assume they pose no real risk
For many healthy people, the risk is probably small if they consume them occasionally
Our findings support the need to monitor more systematically the safety of products containing caffeine and stimulants