Here’s what to know.
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
Key Points
- Researchers linked energy drinks to serious heart events in adults ages 18 to 34.
- High caffeine levels in energy drinks may increase the risk of cardiac arrest.
- Moderation is key: track your caffeine intake and watch for symptoms like chest pain.
Energy drinks have become a routine part of life for millions of people. They help students through late-night study sessions, carry workers through long shifts and give gym-goers a boost before a workout. Sales have more than doubled in the past decade, topping $20 billion in 2024.
Because these drinks sit on store shelves right next to soda and bottled water, many people see them as harmless. Doctors, however, have reported cases of irregular heartbeats and even sudden cardiac death in people who had recently used energy drinks or stimulant supplements. Many of those people were young and had no known heart problems.
A new study presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2026 took a closer look at this possible link. Here’s what the researchers did, what they found and what it could mean for you.
How Was the Study Conducted?
Researchers from the University of Virginia School of Medicine reviewed health problem reports sent to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Consumers, doctors and manufacturers can voluntarily report health problems they believe may be linked to foods or dietary supplements.
The team looked at 28,345 reports filed between 2017 and 2025. All of them involved people ages 13 and older. They split the reports into two groups:
- Just over 850 reports involved products specifically flagged for caffeine or other stimulant ingredients, such as guarana, yerba mate, green tea or coffee extracts, synephrine, yohimbine and ephedra.
- More than 27,000 reports made up a broader comparison group covering other foods and dietary supplements, including items like protein bars, meal replacement shakes, smoothies and vitamins. The release lists soft drinks as part of this group, though it doesn’t fully explain how products were classified or whether all caffeinated beverages were excluded.
The researchers grouped products by ingredient, not by brand. This means the results point to types of products, not to any single brand. They then compared how often heart-related problems appeared in each group of reports.
What Did the Study Find?
Reports tied to stimulant and heavily caffeinated products mentioned serious heart problems far more often than reports tied to other products. Compared with the non-stimulant group, reports involving stimulant products were:
- About 11 times more likely to mention cardiac arrest
- About 4.5 times more likely to mention a heart attack
- About four times more likely to mention ventricular arrhythmias (dangerous irregular rhythms in the heart’s lower chambers) or heart palpitations
- Almost three times more likely to mention a racing heart rate
- About 2.7 times more likely to mention chest pain
- About twice as likely to mention fainting
Age stood out, too. About 45% of the heart-related reports involving stimulant products came from adults ages 18 to 34, though this group isn’t usually considered at high risk for heart problems. The patterns looked similar for both men and women.
Limitations
This study has important limitations, and they matter when reading the results. First, the findings are preliminary. The research was presented as a conference abstract at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2026. It hasn’t yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, which means other scientists haven’t fully reviewed its methods and conclusions.
Second, the study shows an association, not cause and effect. It can’t prove that energy drinks or supplements caused any of the heart problems in the reports. Other factors could explain some of the results. These include undiagnosed heart conditions, intense exercise, or mixing these products with alcohol or drugs.
Third, the data comes from voluntary reports. Many health problems never get reported to the FDA, and some reports may be incomplete. Finally, the researchers had no way of knowing how many people used these products without any problems. Without that number, the study can’t tell us how risky these products actually are for the average person.
How Does This Apply to Real Life?
For most healthy people, an occasional energy drink likely carries little risk. Still, a few habits can help you stay within safer limits:
- Know your daily caffeine limit. The American Heart Association says up to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day is generally safe for most adults. That’s about five 8-ounce cups of regular brewed coffee.
- Read the label. Ounce for ounce, some energy drinks contain up to three times more caffeine than brewed coffee. Some pre-workout supplements contain more than 12 times as much. One or two servings can push you past the daily limit.
- Add it all up. Coffee, tea, soda, energy drinks and supplements can all count toward your daily total.
- Watch for warning signs. If you notice a pounding or irregular heartbeat, chest pain or fainting after using these products, stop using them and talk to a healthcare professional. Chest pain or fainting may need emergency care right away.
- Be open with your healthcare providers. Let the professionals know if you regularly use energy drinks or stimulant supplements, especially if you have heart symptoms.
Our Expert Take
A new study presented at conference reviewed eight years of voluntary FDA reports and found that products containing stimulants and high amounts of caffeine were linked to serious heart events, including cardiac arrest and heart attacks, far more often than other foods and supplements. That signal was especially strong among adults ages 18 to 34.
This study shows a pattern, not proof of cause and effect—it doesn’t tell us that energy drinks will harm you, only that people who reported heart problems were more likely to have been using these products. The smartest approach is moderation and awareness. If you’re regularly reaching for energy drinks or pre-workout supplements, check the caffeine content, track your daily total and be honest with healthcare providers about your habits, especially if you’ve ever noticed chest pain, palpitations or dizziness after using these products.