Popular energy drinks and stimulant-filled supplements are facing renewed scrutiny after researchers uncovered a concerning association between their consumption and serious cardiovascular emergencies, including heart attacks and cardiac arrest.
New research released by the American Heart Association suggests that products containing caffeine and other stimulants appear disproportionately often in reports of severe heart-related medical incidents, particularly among younger adults.
The findings were presented at the association’s Scientific Sessions in Chicago, held November 6 through November 9.
Researchers examined more than 28,000 reports submitted to the Food and Drug Administration involving cardiovascular events, including heart attacks, cardiac arrest, abnormal heart rhythms, chest pain, rapid heartbeat and fainting.
The results revealed striking differences between reports involving stimulant-containing products and those involving products without those ingredients.
Cardiac arrest appeared approximately 11 times as frequently in reports associated with caffeine and other stimulants.
Heart attacks were reported about 4.5 times as often, while abnormal heart rhythms and palpitations appeared approximately four times as frequently.
Researchers also identified increased reporting of elevated heart rates, chest discomfort and fainting.
One particularly notable finding involved the age of those affected.
Approximately 45% of the reported cardiovascular events associated with stimulant-containing products involved adults between the ages of 18 and 34.
The findings raise questions about the growing popularity of heavily caffeinated beverages and performance-enhancing supplements among younger consumers.
The products examined included energy drinks, soft drinks, protein bars, meal replacement shakes, smoothies and certain vitamins.
Researchers analyzed ingredients such as caffeine, guarana, yerba mate, synephrine, yohimbine and other stimulant compounds.
Dr. Colin Kane, a pediatric cardiologist at Children’s Health and professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center, said the findings reinforce longstanding concerns about excessive caffeine consumption.
“We’ve known through case reports and anecdotal evidence that caffeine in high amounts can be potentially dangerous to people with underlying heart conditions and even those who have normal hearts,” Kane told Fox News Digital.
Although caffeine is widely consumed, medical experts emphasize that the quantity and combination of stimulants can make a substantial difference.
According to a 2026 American Heart Association scientific statement, most healthy adults can generally consume up to 400 milligrams of caffeine daily.
However, certain energy drinks and pre-workout supplements contain substantially higher caffeine concentrations than ordinary coffee.
Dr. Pamela Benavidez, the study’s senior author and a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist at Fairfield Medical Center in Ohio, warned that some products can deliver unusually large doses in relatively small servings.
“Some energy drinks have up to three times more caffeine per fluid ounce than brewed coffee, and some pre-workout supplements have more than 12 times as much,” she explained.
Benavidez added that certain products combine caffeine with additional stimulants whose interactions remain poorly understood.
Those combinations could present particular concerns for individuals with existing cardiovascular conditions or undiagnosed heart problems.
Researchers advised consumers to watch for warning signs, including chest tightness, heart palpitations, dizziness, fainting and unusually rapid or irregular heartbeats, per the New York Post.
Anyone experiencing such symptoms during or after consuming stimulant-containing products should seek medical attention.
However, the study comes with important limitations.
The findings are preliminary and have not yet been published as a full peer-reviewed manuscript.
Because researchers examined voluntarily submitted FDA reports, the analysis cannot establish that the beverages or supplements directly caused the reported emergencies.
The data also cannot determine how frequently cardiac problems occur among everyone who consumes these products.
Other factors, including strenuous exercise, alcohol consumption, medications and underlying health conditions, may have contributed to individual incidents.
The beverage industry has pushed back against interpretations suggesting that energy drinks are inherently dangerous.
The American Beverage Association emphasized that government food safety agencies generally recognize moderate caffeine consumption of up to 400 milligrams daily as safe for adults.
Andrea Wong, chief science officer of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, also cautioned against interpreting the findings as direct measurements of individual risk.
She emphasized that the reported 11-fold difference in cardiac arrest reports does not mean consumers are 11 times more likely to experience cardiac arrest.
Despite those limitations, researchers believe the findings warrant closer attention to stimulant exposure, particularly among younger adults who frequently consume energy drinks and workout supplements.
The study highlights the importance of monitoring total caffeine intake, understanding product ingredients and recognizing potential warning signs before serious cardiovascular complications develop.
