Keywords

meta-analysis; energy drink; caffeine; blood pressure

Abstract

Energy drinks have continued to increase in popularity, with their effects not completely understood. These drinks usually contain significant amounts of caffeine and sugar, along with other stimulants such as taurine and various B vitamins. While they may temporarily increase alertness and reduce fatigue, excessive consumption can lead to negative health effects, including increased heart rate, high blood pressure, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and dehydration. Understanding the effects of these drinks on the heart is critical to help to decide whether further regulation is required. This was accomplished through a meta-analysis of studies examining the effects of energy drinks on systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Through a search of Pubmed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct, 1460 possible studies were found. Of these, 67 were excluded as duplicates, 68 were excluded as they were not written in English, and 1258 were excluded as they were irrelevant to the topic. A further 55 were excluded due to insufficient data or lacked a control group. The remaining 11 studies yielded 303 participants. It was found energy drinks had a significant positive impact on both systolic blood pressure (MD: 3.58; 95% CI [2.68, 4.48]) and diastolic blood pressure (MD: 3.48; 95 CI: [2.70, 4.27]; p). In a healthy person, an increase of 3.58 in systolic blood pressure is not enough to cause hypertension on its own. However, in conjunction with other factors such as age, smoking, high cholesterol, obesity, or existing heart disease, it can increase the risk of adverse cardiac events. Further research should be conducted to explore the effects of energy drinks on these at-risk populations and to develop appropriate guidelines and regulations.

Thesis Completion Year

2026

Thesis Completion Semester

Summer

Thesis Chair

Singla, Dinender

College

College of Medicine

Department

Metabolic and Cardiovascular

Thesis Discipline

Medicine

Language

English

Access Status

Campus Access

Length of Campus Access

1 year

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

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Available for download on Sunday, July 25, 2027

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Rights Statement

In Copyright