student, heart failure, energy drinks, drink, drinking, report

21-year-old student developed heart failure from drinking four energy drinks a day

He spent 58 days in hospital and was in intensive care


A 21-year-old student has developed heart failure after drinking four 500ml energy drinks every day for two years, a report has revealed.

According to the BBC, a BMJ Case Report has shown that the man “excessively” drank the energy drinks and ended up spending 58 days in hospital, including some time in intensive care. Doctors concluded that “energy drink-induced cardiotoxicity was felt to be the most likely cause” of his heart failure.

It is also reported that he suffered with shortness of breath and weight loss for four months and was unable to continue his university course for three months before his hospital admission as a result of his poor health.

Participating in the report, the unnamed student said: “When I was drinking up to four energy drinks per day, I suffered from tremors and heart palpitations, which interfered with my ability to concentrate on daily tasks and my studies at university.” He also suffered from severe migraines, adding: “This also restricted my ability to perform day-to-day tasks and even leisurely activities such as going to the park or taking a walk.”

Nine months after his hospital treatment, it is said that his heart function has appeared to have returned with “mildly impaired function”, but the report added it is difficult to predict what will happen in the recovery or any potential for relapse.

The student now believes that there should be more awareness of how dangerous energy drinks can be when drank excessively, and the effects they can have on your health. “I believe they are very addictive and far too accessible to young children. I think warning labels, similar to smoking, should be made to illustrate the potential dangers of the ingredients in energy drink,” he said.

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