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Energy Drinks: What People With Genetic Heart Conditions Should Know
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Health risks from energy drinks for those with genetic heart conditions
In addition to being just plain unhealthy, there are some additional risks posed by energy drinks for people with genetic heart conditions. A study was conducted in Australia on participants with long QT syndrome, a cardiovascular condition which can cause irregular heartbeats.
In the study, the participants were given either an energy drink which contained 160 milligrams of caffeine plus 2000 milligrams of taurine, or a control drink, which was simply carbonated juice that contained neither caffeine nor taurine. The researchers found that the participants who received the energy drink experienced a substantial spike in blood pressure versus the ones who consumed the control drink. While this is a slight cause for concern, what really alarmed the researchers was what happened to three of the energy drink consumers.
These participants experienced a sudden change in their QT interval, a term used to describe the cycle during which the heart expands and contracts. The contents of the energy drinks caused an abnormal increase in the cycle, resulting in a slightly prolonged heartbeat. If this happens to someone with a normal, healthy heart, it isn’t great cause for concern. But if it occurs in someone with long QT syndrome, it could potentially be lethal.
What’s especially concerning is that energy drinks have become quite popular with young people, including teenagers. Young people who have long QT syndrome might be undiagnosed, and unaware there is any problem with their hearts at all. These individuals may be consuming energy drinks and other high-caffeine beverages without realizing the potential danger to their health.
In light of this information, what’s the best course of action to take?
Honestly, the hard truth is that energy drinks in general are quite bad for your health. They contain ludicrous amounts of sugar, and very high levels of caffeine and other stimulants that can be quite taxing on your body.
READ ALSO: Side Effects Of Energy Drinks Infographic
If you do have long QT syndrome or any other cardiovascular condition, you should strongly consider not drinking energy drinks at all. It’s just not worth the risk. This also goes for people who are undiagnosed, but have a family history of heart disease. You might be okay now, but if you have a genetic predisposition to heart disease, you shouldn’t place the additional strain of an energy drink’s effects on your heart.
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