A young man's heart problems may have been triggered by his excessive consumption of energy drinks — he ended up in the hospital with heart failure after consuming four energy drinks per day for two years, according to a new report of the case.
The findings add to a growing body of evidence linking energy drink consumption with heart problems, leading the authors to call for warnings about the dangers of drinking these beverages in large amounts.
The man recalled that he occasionally had episodes of indigestion, tremors and a racing heartbeat, which he didn't seek care for in the past. He felt so unwell and lethargic in recent months that he had to stop his university studies, according to the report, from doctors at St Thomas' Hospital in London.
After a barrage of tests, the man was diagnosed with two potentially life-threatening conditions: heart failure and kidney failure. Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle can't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs; and kidney failure happens when the kidneys can't properly filter waste products from the blood. In the man's case, the two conditions appeared to be unrelated, but they each had serious effects. The man's doctors discussed whether he needed a double (heart and kidney) organ transplant.
His kidney failure was due to a long-standing but previously undiagnosed condition called chronic obstructive uropathy, when urine can't properly drain through the urinary tract tubes and so it backs up into the kidneys.
After 58 days in the hospital, the man was cleared to go home and was prescribed several heart medications. He stopped drinking energy drinks completely and his heart function improved so much that his doctors say he doesn't need a heart transplant at this time. However, he will likely need a kidney transplant at some point in the future.
Some people may be predisposed to heart problems from energy drinks due to underlying biological factors, although more research is needed to determine what these factors are, the authors said.
"This case further highlights the potential cardiovascular dangers of energy drinks in susceptible individuals," the authors wrote. "Clear warnings should be provided about the potential cardiovascular dangers of energy drink consumption in large amounts," they concluded.
Originally published on Live Science.
