Preliminary research from the American Heart Association reveals a correlation between energy drinks, stimulant supplements, and increased reports of severe cardiovascular issues like cardiac arrest and heart attacks, especially in young adults.
Study findings
The study, scheduled for presentation at the AHA’s Scientific Sessions 2026 in Chicago from 6-9 November, analyzed 28,345 adverse-event reports submitted to a US Food and Drug Administration safety database between 2017 and 2025. Of these, 854 reports involved products containing caffeine or other stimulants, while 27,491 related to products without these ingredients.
The analysis found that cardiac arrest was reported approximately 11 times more frequently in connection with caffeine- and stimulant-containing products than with other foods and dietary supplements. Reports involving these products were also around 4.5 times more likely to include heart attacks and four times more likely to involve ventricular arrhythmias or heart palpitations.
Other cardiovascular problems noted included raised heart rate, which appeared nearly three times more frequently, chest pain (2.71 times more frequently), and fainting (approximately twice as frequently). People between 18 and 34 years old made up roughly 45% of the cases linking caffeine or stimulant products to these events.
Risk factors and consumption
Sai Samayamanthula, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, warned that consumers might underestimate the potential risks because energy drinks and stimulant supplements are marketed as everyday products and sold alongside conventional soft drinks and bottled water. He noted that regular consumption could cause individuals to exceed recommended daily caffeine limits.
According to the AHA’s 2026 scientific statement on caffeine and cardiovascular disease, consuming up to 400mg of caffeine daily is generally considered safe for most adults. However, some energy drinks contain up to three times more caffeine per fluid ounce than brewed coffee, while certain pre-workout supplements contain more than 12 times as much.
The researchers also highlighted the regulatory context, noting that the FDA regulates energy drinks and stimulant supplements as foods or dietary supplements rather than medicines, meaning they are not subject to the same pre-market safety testing requirements as pharmaceutical products.
Limitations and next steps
Gregory M. Marcus, who chairs the AHA’s 2026 scientific statement on caffeine and cardiovascular disease, cautioned that additional variables could have affected the findings and that more study is necessary to establish whether these items cause the observed incidents. The team also emphasized that their evaluation depended on voluntarily submitted adverse-event reports, leaving uncertainty about the number of users who experienced no heart issues and the extent of unreported cases.
The investigators proposed that patterns such as consuming energy drinks before intense exercise or combining them with alcohol or other drugs might help explain the findings, and that undiagnosed heart conditions could also play a role. They intend to pursue additional research to better understand how energy drinks relate to cardiovascular events.
