Jakarta, goldensamoyed Indonesia
—
A 54 year old man who was known to be healthy and active suddenly experienced
strokes
after years of regular consumption
drink
large amounts of energy.
The man is known as a fit person, likes running, and does not have the habit of smoking, drinking alcohol or using drugs.
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But one day, he suddenly felt weak and numb on the left side of his body, accompanied by balance problems, difficulty walking, swallowing and speaking.
Sunil Munshi, a specialist in internal medicine at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust in England, said that the patient’s blood pressure when he arrived at the hospital was very high.
“His blood pressure is very high, around 254/150 mmHg. However, physically he looks very healthy. This is the reason why hypertension is often referred to as the silent killer,” said Munshi, reporting
goldensamoyed
.
Normal blood pressure for adults is less than 120/80 mmHg.Blood pressure above 180/120 mmHg is considered an emergency condition that requires immediate treatment.
“His left side was numb, and scans showed he had suffered a stroke in a deeper part of the brain, namely the thalamus, which explains his instability,” Munshi said.
“He was hospitalized, and we treated him with five different types of medication until his blood pressure dropped to 170 mmHg,” he added.
Even though it had decreased during treatment, the man’s blood pressure increased again after he returned home.The figure even reached 220 mmHg even though he had taken various drugs.
The medical team carried out a series of follow-up examinations for weeks, but found no clear cause.Until one day, the patient revealed a habit that he had never thought was dangerous, namely consuming large amounts of energy drinks every day.
“Every day he drinks eight cans of high-dose energy drinks to stay awake while working. Each can contains around 160 milligrams of caffeine,” said Munshi.
With this amount, the patient consumed around 1,200 to 1,300 milligrams of caffeine per day, far above the safe limit.
Health guidelines generally recommend consuming no more than 400 mg of caffeine per day for adults.That figure is equivalent to 2-4 cups of coffee.
Several weeks after stopping consumption of energy drinks, the patient’s blood pressure finally returned to normal.Even though he is now declared healthy, he still has to live with the residual effects of the stroke he experienced many years ago.
“I didn’t realize the dangers posed by energy drinks. Until now, I still experience numbness in my left hand and leg,” the patient told his medical team.
Ingredients of stroke-triggering energy drinks
According to Munshi, the dangers of energy drinks do not only come from the high caffeine content.This drink also contains other substances that can increase blood pressure, such as taurine.
“The combination of caffeine and taurine has been proven to increase blood pressure more than caffeine alone,” he explained.
In addition, energy drinks also contain high levels of sugar, which can damage blood vessels.Other substances such as ginseng, guarana,
theophylline
, and
theobromine
also provides an additional stimulant effect on the body.
The combination of these various substances can trigger heart arrhythmias, damage the lining of blood vessels, and increase the risk of blood clots which can lead to stroke.
(nga/asr)
