The man was consuming three times the maximum daily dose of caffeine recommended for an adult.
If you’re a huge fan of energy drinks, you might want to listen up: a case study out today shows the perils of drinking too many of these caffeine-rich beverages.
An otherwise healthy 50-year-old man in the UK developed a stroke likely caused by his habit of eight energy drinks per day, according to his doctors. Though the man ultimately recovered from the injury, he continues to have some lingering symptoms years later. The doctors say his case should offer an important lesson that these drinks aren’t necessarily harmless.
“Energy drinks are not currently widely seen as dangerous for cardiovascular risks—they have been discussed because of their effect on sleep and concentration, but the public has little awareness of the more hidden risks they pose,” study author Martha Doyle, a stroke doctor at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, told Gizmodo.No other identifiable cause
According to the paper, published Tuesday in BMJ Case Reports, the man visited the hospital with sudden numbness on his left side and general unsteadiness. He also had a remarkably high blood pressure reading of 254/150. For context, 120/80 is normal blood pressure, while 180/120 and above is recognized as a “hypertensive crisis.” Tests soon confirmed he had experienced a mild stroke.
The man was hospitalized for three days. He was discharged with medications to lower his blood pressure and prevent further stroke. Over the next three months of follow-up visits, he appeared to make an excellent functional recovery, though he continued to have some numbness. More worryingly, he still had incredibly high blood pressure despite his medication, and he was even readmitted to the hospital as a result. He was then given more antihypertensives.
