University student suffered heart failure after binging on energy drinks

A 21-year-old university student suffered heart failure after binging on energy drinks, a study has revealed, leading doctors to call for warning labels to be placed on packaging. 

The case of the man, who drank four 500ml energy drinks a day for two years before needing hospital treatment for heart problems, was analysed in a leading medical journal. 

The student was said to have required intensive care treatment and became so ill that doctors were considering whether he needed an organ transplant. 

A BMJ Case Report - which focuses on medical cases considered worthy of discussion - said “excessive” energy drink consumption had helped bring about the collapse in the man’s health.

He first sought care after suffering for four months with shortness of breath and weight loss, having already dropped out of university for three months due to severe lethargy and sickness.

The four cans of energy drink he was drinking daily contained 640mg of caffeine - more than double the recommended daily maximum of 300mg.

Blood tests, scans and ECG readings revealed that he had both heart and kidney failure, with the kidney failure linked to a long standing and previously undiagnosed condition.

The man had no medical history other than excessive intake of energy drinks, according to the authors from Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation trust. 

The doctors treating him considered a number of diagnoses, but concluded: "Energy drink-induced cardiotoxicity was felt to be the most likely cause."

He spent 58 days in hospital, including a stint in the intensive care unit, which he described as "traumatising".

The patient was able to recover through a successful drug treatment that slowly restored his heart health. 

After nine months his heart function has appeared to have returned with "mildly impaired function", the report said.

It added:  "This case report adds to the growing concern in the literature about the potential cardiotoxic effects of energy drinks.”

Dr Andrew D'Silva, from the hospital in London, said: "It is difficult to predict the clinical course of recovery or potential for relapse.

"Overstimulation of the sympathetic nervous system by caffeine may be a factor; energy drinks are also known to raise blood pressure and can trigger heart rhythm abnormalities.

"Clear warnings should be provided about the potential cardiovascular dangers of energy drink consumption in large amounts."

The patient, who has not been named, added his own thoughts to the article, and called for more warning labels on the drinks.

"I think there should be more awareness about energy drinks and the effect of their contents,” he said.

"I believe they are very addictive and far too accessible to young children. I think warning labels, similar to smoking, should be made to illustrate the potential dangers of the ingredients in energy drink."

It comes after a separate study, published in the journal Plos One, highlighted energy drink intake among teenagers.

Academics at Cardiff University analysed the responses of a health survey of more than 176,000 secondary school children in Wales aged 11 to 16.

The data, drawn from responses between 2013 and 2017, show that 6% of pupils said they drank energy drinks on a "daily" basis - a trend which didn't change over time.