Energy drinks may raise deadly irregular heartbeat condition: Study

New Delhi: Consuming energy drinks may raise the risk of life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias -- an irregular heartbeat condition, especially among patients with genetic heart diseases, finds a study on Thursday.

Increased caffeine content and additional unregulated ingredients in these beverages known to alter heart rate, blood pressure, and cardiac contractility may be the reason, said researchers from the Mayo Clinic in the US.

They explained that energy drinks contain caffeine ranging from 80 mg to 300 mg per serving, compared with 100 mg in an 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee.

However, most of these energy drinks contain other stimulating ingredients in addition to caffeine that are unregulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), such as taurine and guarana.

Concerns over the possible combined effects of caffeine use and other unregulated additives in these beverages have been raised by the industry's expansion.

The study published in the journal Heart Rhythm examined a cohort of 144 sudden cardiac arrest survivors at Mayo Clinic, of which seven patients (5 per cent) had consumed one or more energy drinks near their cardiac event.

Energy drinks may be causing SCA in people with GHD, despite the low occurrence rate. As such, patients should be warned about the possible dangers of these drinks in advance.

Patients should be advised to limit the amount of energy drinks they consume, and the FDA should be pressured to issue guidelines about the appropriate and secure usage of these beverages.

"Unusual consumption of energy drinks most likely combined with other variables to create a 'perfect storm' of risk factors, leading to sudden cardiac arrest in these patients," said Dr Michael J. Ackerman, Genetic Cardiologist at the Clinic.

"While the study did not prove direct causation, caution is advised, and doctors recommend that patients consume energy drinks in moderation," the researchers said.

Michael noted that the energy drink market has grown consistently in the past few years.

It raises "concerns about the potential combined effects of caffeine consumption and additional unregulated ingredients in these beverages", said the lead investigator.