Popular drinks linked to heart attacks, cardiac arrest in young adults, study finds

A new study from the American Heart Association links energy drinks and stimulant-containing supplements to a higher risk of serious heart events in young adults, including cardiac arrest and heart attacks. The findings, based on a retrospective observational review of more than 28,000 reports submitted to the FDA, will be presented at the AHA Scientific Sessions in Chicago on Nov. 6–9, 2026. In reports involving caffeine- and stimulant-containing products, cardiac arrest appeared about 11 times as often as in reports without those ingredients. Heart attacks were reported about 4.5 times as often, and ventricular arrhythmias or palpitations about four times. Roughly 45% of events tied to stimulant products involved adults aged 18 to 34.