Preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2026 suggests that caffeinated energy drinks and stimulant supplements may pose cardiovascular risks, particularly for young adults. An analysis of more than 28,000 adverse-event reports submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration between 2017 and 2025 found that products containing caffeine or other stimulants were linked to serious heart conditions far more often than other products.
The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, compared 854 reports involving caffeine- or stimulant-containing energy drinks or dietary supplements with 27,491 reports about products without these ingredients. Cardiac arrest was reported about 11 times more often in connection with the stimulant products. Reports involving energy drinks and supplements were approximately 4.5 times more likely to include heart attacks and four times more likely to include ventricular arrhythmias or heart palpitations. Other cardiovascular events, such as elevated heart rate, chest pain, and fainting, were also reported more frequently.
About 45% of the reports linking these products to cardiovascular events involved adults ages 18 to 34, a group not typically considered at high risk for cardiovascular events. The findings were similar for men and women. Researchers do not fully understand why the association was so frequent among young adults; possible explanations include higher consumption rates, timing of use (such as before intense exercise or mixed with alcohol), or undiagnosed heart conditions.
“These products are marketed as everyday pick-me-ups and sold next to soda and bottled water, so most people assume they carry no real risk,” said study author Sai Samayamanthula, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. “For many healthy people, if these products are consumed occasionally, the risk is probably small. However, individuals who consume energy drinks or other stimulant-containing supplements regularly can quickly exceed the recommended daily limit for caffeine, so it’s important for people to know that there may be a risk of cardiovascular harm with these products.”
The study authors emphasize that the analysis only identifies associations and cannot prove causation. The reports were voluntarily submitted to the FDA by consumers, doctors, and manufacturers, so it is unknown how many people consumed these products without experiencing cardiac events or how many experienced events but did not report them. The findings point to types of products rather than any single brand.
Gregory M. Marcus, M.D., M.A.S., FAHA, chair of the 2026 American Heart Association scientific statement on caffeine and cardiovascular disease, noted that the study raises concerns but does not prove that caffeine products cause these events. “More research is needed to understand whether these stimulant products are truly responsible for the reported heart-related events,” said Marcus, who was not involved in the study.
The research highlights a potential public health issue as sales of caffeinated energy drinks have more than doubled over the past decade, reaching over $20 billion in 2024. Unlike medications, energy drinks and stimulant supplements are regulated by the FDA as foods or dietary supplements and do not undergo the same premarket safety testing. The study authors call for more systematic safety monitoring of these products and for healthcare professionals to ask younger patients with palpitations, chest pain, or fainting about their consumption of energy drinks and stimulant supplements.
The findings are considered preliminary until published as a full manuscript in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. The study was presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2026, held Nov. 6-9 in Chicago. The abstract and the meeting’s Online Program Planner are available online. Additional resources include the American Heart Association’s fact sheet on Caffeine and Cardiovascular Disease and a news release on Coffee and heart health: How many cups of caffeinated coffee are safe to drink each day?.
