Energy drinks have been linked to several reports of cardiac arrest, heart attack, and death. Recent studies have found that consuming just one energy drink can increase heart-rate, blood-pressure, and cause irregular heart rhythm.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting energy drink induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with a heart attack, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
What is the problem?
Energy drinks often contain hundreds of milligrams of caffeine, compared to just 50-70 milligrams in a typical can of soda. Caffeine is a mild stimulant, but high doses can dramatically increase heart-rate and cause abnormal heart rhythm.
Caffeine is also toxic in high doses. Overdoses can cause palpitations (cardiac arrhythmia) or cardiac arrest. Despite the risk, energy drinks are aggressively marketed to young people. Labels rarely include warnings or list the amount of caffeine.
Energy Drinks and Heart Attacks
In November 2012, the FDA issued a Safety Warning about energy drinks after receiving reports of five deaths and one non-fatal heart attack.
The warning may have been promoted by a lawsuit filed against Monster Energy by the family of Anais Fournier, a 14 year-old girl who died after drinking two energy drinks. The coroner blamed her death on cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity exacerbated by a pre-existing heart condition.
According to the FDA, dozens of people have reported health problems after consuming energy drinks. The agency published reports linked to Red Bull and 5 Hour Energy, Monster, and Rock Star. The most serious cardiovascular events included:
- Heart attack
- Myocardial infarction
- Blood clot in the heart
- Increased heart rate
- Tachycardia
- Chest pain
- High blood pressure
- Cardiac disorder
- Abnormal heart rhythm
- Palpitations
One Energy Drink May Increase Heart Attack Risk
Drinking just one energy drink per day can increase blood pressure, hear-rate, and stress hormones, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine by researchers at the Mayo Clinic in 2015.
The conclusions of the study were based on 25 healthy volunteers (average 29 years old) who were instructed to consume one 16-oz Rockstar or a placebo. The subjects who consumed energy drinks had 74% higher levels of a stress hormone called norepinephrine and higher blood pressure. Norepinephrine constricts blood vessels and increases heart-rate — both risk-factors for heart attack.
The researchers concluded that energy drinks may predispose young adults to heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases:
“We now show that the increases in blood pressure are accompanied by increases in norepinephrine, a stress hormone chemical, and this could predispose an increased risk of cardiac events – even in healthy people.”
What is a Heart Attack?
Heart attacks, also known as myocardial infarction, occur when arteries that supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle are blocked. During a heart attack, the heart muscle dies and weakens the heart.
Warning Signs
Not all heart attacks involve dramatic, crushing chest pain like you see on TV. In many cases, symptoms are subtle or easily mistaken for heartburn. Most people experience some type of discomfort, but it may feel like squeezing, pressure, fullness, or burning. It may come and go or last for several minutes. Pain or discomfort may also spread to the arms, back, shoulders, neck, jaw, or upper part of the stomach.
Symptoms of a Heart Attack
- Chest pain
- Upper body pain or discomfort
- Shortness of breath
- Breaking out in a cold sweat
- Tiredness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Light-headedness or dizziness
- Anxiety
- And more
Complications & Treatment
Heart attacks are life-threatening emergencies that must be treated with thrombolytic (“clot-busting”) drugs, blood-thinners, pain relievers, and sometimes surgery to restore circulation to the heart.
After a heart attack, scar tissue replaces tissue that was damaged. This weakens the heart and decreases its ability to pump blood. The outlook for people who survive a heart attack depends on how much heart tissue has been damaged. They may have complications like irregular heart rhythm, heart failure, heart rupture, or valve problems.
Do I have an Energy Drink Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting energy drink induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with a heart attack, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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