HARD TO SWALLOW Major warning as popular drink could trigger ‘sudden cardiac arrest’

Scientists warned energy drinks could "lead to catastrophic events via lethal arrhythmias". A study also found a popular drink "doubles" the risk of bowel cancer in adults who have more than 2 per day

Energy drinks could spark sudden cardiac arrests even in healthy people Credit: Getty

By Ellie Cambridge

April 4, 2022

MOST people will have some form of caffeine every day.

It might be a cup of coffee, a tea, or a fizzy drink - drunk for comfort and to keep us focused.

Many people will chug down energy drinks to stay alert.

These often contain huge amounts of caffeine, which can be dangerous.

Having too many could spark a sudden cardiac arrest, even in healthy people, a study found.

Guarana is a common ingredient in energy drinks and can generate unexpected reactions when combined with other elements.

It is often mixed with ginseng or taurine for flavour and an extra kick.

But authors of research, published in the Anatolian Journal of Cardiology in 2017, said there was a risk of "unexplained cardiac arrests in young people after consuming energy drinks".

The risk rises even further if energy drinks are mixed with booze.

They wrote: “It seems clear that energy drinks, some beverages, and some supplements that include stimulants might lead to critical and rarely irreversible cardiovascular events in the young population.”

Caffeine is generally safe to consume and enjoy, but it can be harmful in larger doses.

The scientists warned energy drinks could "lead to catastrophic events via lethal arrhythmias".

Sudden cardiac arrest often occurs without warning, triggered by an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia).

A cardiac arrest, also known as cardiopulmonary arrest, happens when your heart suddenly stops pumping blood around your body.

Someone who has had a cardiac arrest will collapse unconscious.

Their breathing will be irregular and may stop, and they will be unresponsive.

It comes after we told how a study found a popular drink "doubles" the risk of bowel cancer in adults who have more than two per day.

It is the second deadliest form of the disease in the UK - and those guzzling certain beverages could be putting themselves in danger of developing the disease.

Bowel cancer, which kills 16,000 Brits a year, starts in the large intestines and it mostly develops from pre-cancerous growths, called polyps.

Not all will turn cancerous, but if your doctor finds any, they will tend to remove them to prevent cancer.

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