A single energy drink can affect the function of blood vessels

According to a preliminary study conducted as part of a small study presented in Chicago at the 2018 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association, healthy young adults showed a noticeable decrease in function blood vessels shortly after consuming an energy drink.

The consumption of energy drinks has been associated with many health problems, including the heart, nerves and stomach. Some believe that the cardiovascular side effects of energy drinks may be related to the effects of these drinks on endothelial function or blood vessels.

John Higgins, MD, MBA of the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in Houston, and his colleagues studied 44 non-smoking, healthy 20-year-old medical students by testing their endothelial function before each one of them do not drink a 24 ounce drink. The researchers repeated the endothelial function tests 90 minutes later.

An hour and a half after consuming the energy drink, the researchers checked the dilation induced by arterial flow in young adults – an ultrasound measurement indicating the overall health of the blood vessels. They found that vessel dilation averaged 5.1% before the energy drink and that it dropped to 2.8% of diameter after, suggesting an acute impairment of vascular function.

Higgins and his colleagues believe that the negative effect may be related to the combination of energy drink ingredients, such as caffeine, taurine, sugar and other medicinal endothelium (wall of blood vessels) .

"As energy drinks become more and more popular, it is important to study their effects on those who drink them frequently and to better determine what, if any, is a safe drinking pattern," the researchers noted. authors.

Explore further:
Some energy drinks alter endothelial function