Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD
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Key Points
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Quitting an energy drink habit helped a man lower his blood pressure when medicine could not.
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He was drinking eight energy drinks a day, far exceeding the recommended caffeine limit.
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After quitting energy drinks, his blood pressure dropped to normal within a week.
Picture this: A man in his 50s, previously fit and healthy, suddenly experienced left-sided numbness and unsteadiness. He didn’t smoke, drink alcohol or use illicit substances. When he arrived at the hospital, his blood pressure was alarmingly high at 254/150 mm Hg, a level that signals a hypertensive crisis. Doctors diagnosed him with a mild stroke and immediately began treatment.
Over the next few months, a baffling medical mystery unfolded. The man made a good functional recovery, but his blood pressure remained dangerously high despite being on five different medications. His systolic readings consistently hovered between 190 and 230 mm Hg, even requiring another hospital admission (for reference, a normal systolic blood pressure is typically below 120 mm Hg).
Doctors ran extensive tests to find the cause of his secondary hypertension, but every result came back normal. Frustrated and concerned, clinicians decided to take a deeper dive into his daily habits. The discovery they made was stunning—and it held the key to his recovery. Their findings were published in BMJ Case Reports.
What Did This Case Study Find?
After exhausting nearly every other possibility, a more detailed lifestyle review revealed a crucial piece of the puzzle. The patient was consuming, on average, eight cans of a high-potency energy drink every day. Each can contained 160 mg of caffeine, meaning his daily intake was over 1,200 mg—more than three times the recommended daily maximum of 400 mg.
The medical team wondered if this massive caffeine load was the hidden cause of his uncontrollable hypertension. They advised him to completely stop drinking energy drinks.
Within just one week of quitting, the man’s average blood pressure dropped to a healthy 120-130/80-84 mm Hg. This improvement allowed his doctors to start reducing his medications. Three weeks later, he was completely weaned off all five antihypertensive drugs, and his blood pressure remained normal. It became clear that his extreme energy drink consumption was a major contributing factor to his secondary hypertension and, in turn, his stroke.
Follow-up appointments at three and six months showed a complete resolution of his hypertension. He was able to return to work, and eight years later, his blood pressure is still normal.
How Does This Apply to Real Life?
While this case is an extreme example, it sheds light on a growing public health concern. Energy drinks are hugely popular, especially among younger people. They are marketed with promises of enhanced performance and focus, but the health risks are not always as well advertised. The issue isn’t just caffeine—it’s the combination of high doses of caffeine, sugar and other stimulating ingredients like taurine and guarana.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a leading risk factor for both ischemic strokes (caused by clots) and hemorrhagic strokes (caused by bleeding in the brain). The authors of this case study share that ingredients in energy drinks can contribute to this risk in several ways:
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Spiking Blood Pressure: Consuming energy drinks can cause immediate, sharp increases in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. For some, this surge can be enough to trigger a cardiovascular event.
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Vascular and Endothelial Issues: The high sugar content in many energy drinks can damage the delicate lining of our blood vessels, a condition known as endothelial dysfunction. This makes vessels more prone to inflammation, constriction and clotting.
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Increased Platelet Aggregation: Some research indicates that both sugar-free and regular energy drinks can make blood platelets “stickier.” This increases the risk of forming a blood clot, which is the primary mechanism behind most ischemic strokes.
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Heart Arrhythmias: The intense stimulation from these drinks can trigger irregular heart rhythms like atrial fibrillation (AF), a condition known to significantly increase stroke risk.
The man in this case study was otherwise healthy, with no traditional risk factors for a stroke. His story serves as a powerful reminder that lifestyle choices, even ones that seem harmless, can have profound effects on our health.
Our Expert Take
This patient’s experience highlights how changes in our daily habits can have a real impact on health. In his case, adjusting just one aspect of his lifestyle—cutting out energy drinks—made a dramatic difference when medications alone weren’t enough.
This case study suggests that for some people, high energy drink consumption could play a bigger role in health than expected. While more research is needed, it’s a good reminder to stay mindful of what we consume each day. Simple changes in our habits may sometimes have a greater impact than we realize, especially when it comes to managing conditions like high blood pressure.
Read the original article on EatingWell