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# Study:  Energy Drinks May Raise Heart Attack Risk
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/energy_drinks_may_raise_heart_attack_risk_2204100936/
- Published: 2010-04-22T21:35:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T15:43:02.000Z
- Description: Fifty healthy volunteers drank one 250 ml sugar-free energy drink. An hour later platelet aggregation had risen while endothelial function fell and arterial pressure rose. The authors report only these acute changes in healthy young adults.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Food, Nutrition, Heart Attack, Energy Drink, #vivvo-import

A study has provided new evidence to suggest that energy drink consumption may increase risk of sudden cardiac death and myocardial infarction, commonly referred to as a heart attack.

Prior to this current study, energy drinks had been linked anecdotally with sudden cardiac death and heart attack, but there has been no explaination for the link.

Because heart attack is associated with both platelet and endothelial dysfunction, Worthley MI from the University of Adelaide in Australia wanted to see if consuming energy drinks would lead to platelet and endothelial dysfunction.

For the study, the researchers enlisted 50 healthy volunteers. Platelet aggregation and endothelial function were tested before and one hour after one ( 250 ml) of a sugar free energy drink.

Compared to the baseline, platelet aggregation increased after energy drink consumption while no change was observed in controls.

Endothelial function, which is expressed as the reactive hyperemia index, decrease while arterial pressure conversely increased after energy drink consumption, compared with controls.

The authors concluded "Energy drink consumption acutely increases platelet aggregation and decreases endothelial function in healthy young adults."

The study was published in the Feb 2010 issue of the American Journal of Medicine.

The common ingredients used in energy drinks include include methylxanthines (including caffeine), vitamin B and herbs. Other common ingredients are guarana, acai, and taurine, plus various forms of ginseng, maltodextrin, carbonated water, inositol, carnitine, creatine, glucuronolactone and ginkgo biloba, according to wikipedia. Some contain high levels of sugar, and many brands also offer artificially-sweetened 'diet' versions. The central ingredient in most energy drinks is caffeine, the same stimulant found in coffee or tea, often in the form of guarana or yerba mate.

By David Liu and editing by Rachel Stockton