A study indicates that energy drinks can increase blood pressure and alter heart rhythm
Researchers from University of Pacific in San Francisco in the United States, in collaboration with two other institutions, have published a study in the Amercian Heart Association journal that surveyed a number of randomly selected volunteers (34) aged between 18 and 40.
Each subject was given two 470ml of energy drink or placebo. They were told to drink them within an hour on three study days with a six-day period in between sessions. Subjects’ heart rhythms and blood pressure levels were recorded every 30 minutes for four hours.
According to the fooddive.com, the study noted the energy drinks “significantly prolonged” the QTc interval, meaning the time heart chambers need to contract and relax with the heart rate factored in. The drinks also raised brachial and central blood pressure. Researchers said further investigation is warranted on whether individual ingredients or a combination of them leads to these changes. “The impact of long-term energy drinks consumption remains unknown,” they concluded.
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