Effects of energy drinks on blood pressure, heart rate, and electrocardiographic parameters: An experimental study on healthy young adults
1Department Of Cardiology, Rasoul-e-akram Hospital, Faculty Of Medicine, Iran University Of Medical Sciences; Tehran- Iran
2Medical Student Research Committee (msrc), Faculty Of Medicine, Iran University Of Medical Sciences; Tehran- Iran
3Internal Medicine, Faculty Of Medicine, Iran University Of Medical Sciences; Tehran- Iran
Anatol J Cardiol 2016; 16(2): 94-99 PubMed ID: 26467367 PMCID: 5336743 DOI: 10.5152/akd.2015.5930
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Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effects of the consumption of energy drinks on cardiovascular parameters in a group of healthy young individuals.
Methods: In a quasi-experimental study, 44 healthy adult participants aged between 15 and 30 years were evaluated. The blood pressure (BP) as well as electrocardiographic indices, including heart rate (HR), PR interval, QRS duration, corrected QT (QTc) interval, and ST-T changes were recorded before consumption of a caffeine-containing energy drink and at the specific time points over a 4-h test duration.
Results: We found statistically significant HR decline (p=0.004) and more frequent ST-T changes (p=0.004) after the participants consumed the energy drink. However, readings for systolic BP (p=0.44), diastolic BP (p=0.26), PR interval (p=0.449), QRS duration (p=0.235), and QTc interval (p=0.953) showed no significant change post-consumption.
Conclusion: In conclusion, we demonstrated that the consumption of energy drinks could contribute to HR decline and ST-T change in healthy young adults.