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Are Your Drinks Linked To Cardiac Arrest?

Todays Health Article

American Heart Month

February11th, 2011

Today with the vast selection of beverages to chose from, we must be better informed regarding our drinking. With the vast array of new drinks as well as some of the older established drinks, new information, as well as studies, have become to surface. What we are drinking, may be leading to Cardiac Arrest.

Cardiac arrest is…

also known as cardiopulmonary arrest or circulatory arrest. It is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively. Medical personnel can refer to an unexpected cardiac arrest as a sudden cardiac arrest or SCA. A cardiac arrest may be caused by a heart attack, where blood flow to the muscle of the heart is impaired.

The arrested blood circulation, prevents delivery of oxygen to the body. The lack of oxygen to the brain causes loss of consciousness, which then results in abnormal or absent breathing. If cardiac arrest goes untreated for more than five minutes, brain injury is likely. Immediate and decisive treatment is imperative for the best chance of survival and neurological recovery,

A MEDICAL EMERGENCY (CARDIAC ARREST) in most situations and is possible to reverse if treated early. The treatment for cardiac arrest is cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to provide circulatory support, followed by defibrillation if a shock-able rhythm is present. When unexpected cardiac arrest leads to death this is called sudden cardiac death (SCD). Approximately 60–70% of SCD is related to coronary heart disease.

Does Drinking These, Lead to Cardiac Arrest?

Energy Drink

Energy drinks are soft drinks whose producers advertise that they “boost energy.” What they usually do not emphasize, is the energy derived from, is the sugar they contain. Yet most are led to believe this energy is provided by a variety of stimulants, vitamins, and herbal supplements.The main ingredient in most energy drinks is caffeine, found in the form of guarana or yerba mate. If health issues are questionable…moderation or not at all should be considered. Many of the ingredients are linked to health issue related to elevating blood levels and blood pressure.

I like to kick-start my workouts with energy drinks, such as Red Bull. Is this OK? Answerfrom Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.

“Occasional energy drinks are safe for most people. Caution is important, however, especially if you have underlying heart problems. Energy drinks — which are often loaded with caffeine, sugar and herbal stimulants — may pose various health risks, including In addition, excessive amounts of energy drinks have been associated with manic episodes, seizures, chest pain, heart attacks and sudden cardiac death.”

*A small US study has found a link between consumption of “energy drinks” and high blood pressure or heart disease risk. The researchers found healthy adults who drank two cans of a popular energy drink a day had above normal blood pressure and heart rate.
Energy Drinks Linked To Heart Risk, Study

Energy Drinks and Alcohol

Energy drinks such as Red Bull are often used as mixers with alcoholic beverages producing mixed drinks such as Vodka Red Bull. A similar idea, but stronger than rum and coke with respect to the amount of caffeine they contain. They are also sold in a wide variety of formulations such as Four Loko and Joose which combine caffeine and alcohol. Fruit flavored caffeinated energy drinks in flavors such as watermelon, lemonade and cranberry-lemonade are cheap with a fruity taste. There has been warnings by The FDA regarding these products. Some States in the US have banned the sale of such products.

According to the New York Times:

Kevin A. Clauson, a doctor of pharmacy at Nova Southeastern University in West Palm Beach, Fla., who had previously reviewed safety issues surrounding energy drinks said that his main concerns were “the amount of caffeine, which can be injurious particularly to people with a pre-existing cardiovascular abnormality” and “the effects of these drinks when they are combined with alcohol, which can have disastrous consequences.”

Four documented deaths have also been reported in connection with caffeinated beverages. Cardiac arrest and seizures have also been reported. It’s a strange combination of ingredients and the long term effects of the drinks are still unclear.

Alcohol

This drink, no longer has any secrets, moderation being the key to a healthy heart. Many studies have shown its health benefits if drank in moderation. Also equally showing excess drinking leading to heart disease and heart related problems. If you do not drink…do not start, for it health benefits, there are other means to receive the same health benefits.

According to an October study in Heart Rhythm. According to the authors, researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, “Light to moderate alcohol intake may be considered part of a healthy lifestyle for overall chronic disease prevention including the prevention of sudden cardiac death.”

Alcohol and Heart Disease: The Cardiac Effects of Heavy Drinking

Mar 31, 2010 … Cardiovascular problems due to alcohol abuse include high blood pressure, irregular heart beat, and weakened heart muscle.

www.suite101.com/content/alcohol-and-heart-disease-a220396

Diet Soda

”A study just presented at the American Stroke Assn.’s International Stroke Conference reported a link between the amount of diet soda someone drinks and the risk of having a stroke or heart attack.

The way in which researchers determined soda was linked to heart disease was through a lengthy study, beginning in 1971, and was more or less the continuation of a study that originated in 1948.

The study titled “Framingham Offspring Study” (i.e. the offspring of the original Framingham Study) surveyed and examined nearly 5,200 men and women, breaking them into groups, and specifically analyzing what effect, if any, their soft drink intake had over the course of four years each group studied in different four-year periods than the previous one.

Researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine came back with some truly startling results: Drinking soda increased the likelihood of getting heart disease, as the risk of metabolic syndrome was 48 percent higher among those who drank soda with more regularity than those who drank it sparingly. Further, the risk of heart disease increased with each additional soda drink per day by 44 percent”!Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/022143_soda_heart_disease_diet.html#ixzz1Dhrfml11

Todays Health Comments

Today we must become aware of the risks we may be faced with according to the drinks we choose. Energy drinks are just that, if you are eating healthy, the energy will be there, Our ancestors, many worked harder physically than we do today, and the number of cardiac arrests were not in the staggering numbers. Why they got more exercise..For those who know exercise promotes energy. However if you have been sitting on your behind, and suddenly have the urge to run a marathon, load up on your caffeinated drink, you may be a candidate for CPR. For those who start mixing alcohol with these drinks…alcohol and stimulants do not mix. In fact banned in several states. I am sorry I did not get the clue about Soda Pop til a year ago, what a difference it has made. Though it may not effect you directly…the weight that I have lost from stopping this drink, it is amazing. Weight, Obesity, and Cardiac issues are linked to what we drink and the health we choose.