A MAN nearly died after guzzling energy drinks triggered a heart attack, medics have warned.
The 26-year-old, who had no previous health issues, went to A&E with a pain in his chest and left arm which had lasted nine hours.
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He also said his arm felt numb, he was sweating and had been sick, according to an article published in Case Reports in Emergency Medicine.
Doctors in Texas, US, carried out tests and found his heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen levels were normal.
However a procedure known as cardiac catheterisation revealed a full blockage in one of his arteries, as well as other abnormalities.
That’s when he told doctors he usually drinks between eight and 10 cans – the equivalent of 4 litres – of Monster and Rockstar every day.
Excessive drinking
He denied using drugs or stimulants but did admit to smoking a packet of 20 cigarettes a day for the last two years.
Dr Daniel Solomin, who co-authored the report, said: “The patient stated that he drank any kind of energy drink he could get access to – approximately eight to ten 473ml drinks per day.”
His team suggested that the man’s excessive energy drink habit may have caused a blood clot that led to his heart attack.
The patient stated that he drank any kind of energy drink he could get access to
Dr Daniel Solomin
In the case report they note that excessive levels of caffeine may have caused the walls of his coronary artery to suddenly contract.
This had then reduced the blood flow to such a degree that a blood clot was able to form
The man needed a stent placed in the artery to improve blood flow and was discharged from hospital two days later on the basis that he would stop smoking and consuming energy drinks.
Concluding the case, Dr Solomin said: “Further research into the topic of energy drink toxicity in general, as well as cardiac specific issues, is needed, and although evidence to date is scarce, it is probably prudent to recommend limited consumption of these drinks.”
Prior warnings
Previous research has shown that just one energy drink is enough to cause heart problems.
Scientists found that drinking Red Bull and Monster could cause your blood vessels to narrow, which increases the risk of blockages and cause heart attacks and strokes.
Energy drinks typically contain 80mg of caffeine per 100ml – roughly the same as three cans of Coke or a cup of instant coffee, the Food Standards Agency states.
But most also contain high levels of sugar, and are often sold in 500ml cans.
Experiments showed just one and a half hours after drinking an energy drink, a person’s blood vessels had narrowed.
Ultrasound measurements revealed before guzzling the drink, a person’s vessel dilation was 5.1 per cent in diameter.
HOW TO TELL IF YOU’RE HAVING A HEART ATTACK
A HEART attack – or myocardial infarction – occurs when one of the coronary arteries becomes blocked.
The heart muscle is then robbed of vital oxygenated blood which, if left untreated, can cause the heart muscle to begin to die, but what are the symptoms?
Heart attack symptoms can be difficult to spot for sure, because they can vary from person to person.
The most common signs include:
- chest pain, tightness, heaviness, pain or a burning feeling in your chest
- pain in the arms, neck, jaw, back or stomach
- for some people the pain and tightness will be severe, while for others it will just feel uncomfortable
- sweating
- feeling light-headed
- becoming short of breath
- feeling nauseous or vomiting
That shrank to just 2.8 per cent afterwards, “suggesting acute impairment in vascular function”, the scientists warned.
All the volunteers taking part in the study were in their 20s, were non-smokers and had no previous health problems.
Last year, a Canadian study found energy drinks could trigger nasty side effects like heart problems and seizures in half of kids.
It led to calls for a ban on sales of the drinks to young people and children.
Campaigners in the UK have been calling on the Government to ban the sale of energy drinks to kids under the age of 16.
And many supermarkets and high street stores have taken matters into their own hands.
Waitrose led the way, banning the sale of the drinks to under 16s, after teachers said they fuel disruption in class.
Asda, Aldi, Tesco, Morrisons, Co-Op and WH Smith have also implemented the ban to protect youngsters.
The Sun Online has contacted Monster and Rockstar for comment.
