Young adults dominate cardiac-event reports on stimulant drinks and supplements
Ages 18 to 34 account for 45 percent of cardiovascular cases with cardiac arrest 4.5 times more frequent, researchers flag pre-workout use and sleep loss among contributing circumstances
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Energy drinks causes harm to heart health in young adults (Credits: iStock)
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A study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions examined more than 28,000 adverse-event reports submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration between 2017 and 2025, under the title 'Cardiovascular Safety of Caffeine- and Stimulant-Containing Energy Drinks and Dietary Supplements'. Adults aged 18 to 34 accounted for roughly 45 percent of the reports involving cardiovascular events, and cardiac arrest appeared 4.5 times more frequently among them than in older age groups.
The comparison sits inside a reporting database rather than a risk calculation — adverse-event figures show who ends up counted, not the probability of an event. Even so, the pattern is hard to wave off. Inherited conditions affecting the heart's electrical system can go undetected for years; long QT syndrome disturbs the heart's recovery after each beat and can open the door to dangerous rhythm disturbances, and in susceptible individuals stimulants may act as the trigger. Caffeine itself temporarily raises heart rate and blood pressure, and common formulations add guarana, which contributes caffeine of its own.
The circumstances researchers identified as possible contributing factors were drinking the beverages before strenuous exercise, combining them with other stimulants, or consuming them after inadequate sleep. The study could not establish which combinations were responsible. The drinks themselves are easily available and marketed as everyday pick-me-ups, which has made them seem relatively harmless to many consumers.
More research is needed to understand who is susceptible and how stimulant consumption affects the heart, the authors conclude. Until then they leave one operational rule: recurrent palpitations, chest discomfort, dizziness or fainting after stimulant products should not be dismissed as ordinary caffeine jitters.