Short answer: a headline that energy drinks are linked to heart problems is a starting point, not proof that the drinks caused anything. How far you can trust a study depends on what kind of document it is, how many people it covers, and whether its results are public. If a headline does not name the FDA or a specific study, the first step is finding out what the story is based on. Below is how to check it, what the FDA has said on the record, and what is still open.
Which study is behind the headline?
Find the study named in whatever news story you saw and look for the study or document it cites. Then note its title, its date, and whether it is a trial with participants, a report of complaints, or a letter. News summaries often blur three things: the agency’s own documents, the studies behind them, and the reporter’s summary. Keep those apart when you read.
Does an adverse event report prove energy drinks cause heart problems?
No. An adverse event report records that someone reported a problem after using a product. As a general limit of reports of this kind, one report does not by itself show that the product caused the problem.
The FDA’s 2012 letter addressed a different limit: testing. As quoted on a law firm’s energy drink page dated November 29, 2012, the FDA wrote that “resource and capacity constraints preclude government or government-funded toxicity testing of all but a very small number of the possible combinations.” In plain terms, the FDA said it could not toxicity-test most ingredient combinations.
What does the registered energy drink study show?
One study you can check directly is the ClinicalTrials.gov entry NCT02023723, “Evaluation of Energy Drink Consumption on ECG and Hemodynamic Parameters in Young Healthy Volunteers.” Its status is listed as completed, with 18 participants planned or enrolled. Its stated aim is a safety assessment of the cardiac and hemodynamic effects of “overuse of energy drinks in healthy individuals,” measured through ECG, heart rate and blood pressure.
The entry itself says that a registration “describes a study; it is not a result.” Eighteen people is a small group, so this entry shows what researchers planned to measure, not what the drink does to every young adult’s heart. Check the same entry for posted results before you rely on it.
The registration also describes the product as “a consumer available product that is classified as a dietary supplement by the FDA.” The law firm’s page also summarizes the 2012 FDA letter as saying the agency was drafting guidelines to clarify the difference between dietary supplements and conventional foods and beverages.
What has the FDA said about energy drink risks?
As the law firm’s page summarizes the 2012 letter:
- The FDA said it was investigating the risks and would likely seek guidance from outside experts on whether energy drinks pose risks to young people or to people with heart or other health problems.
- The FDA agreed that certain ingredients, such as stimulants, were a concern.
- It said taurine and guarana, which are flavoring substances added to some energy drinks, could lead to regulatory action if it learned of information raising safety concerns about them.
- On caffeine, the FDA wrote: “FDA agrees that it may be advisable for certain subpopulations, including children and pregnant women, to limit their caffeine consumption and will discuss this with relevant health professional groups.”
FDA approval is a different standard from a safety finding. The FDA’s 2020 warning letter to Quten Research Institute states that “FDA approves a new drug on the basis of scientific data and information demonstrating that the drug is safe and effective.” That letter concerns different products and cites the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, so it is not a finding about energy drinks. It does show the standard the FDA applies to drugs. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much weight should each kind of document carry?
| Document | What it can tell you | What it cannot tell you |
|---|---|---|
| Adverse event report | That a problem was reported after someone used a product | Whether the product caused it, or how common it is |
| Registered trial on ClinicalTrials.gov | What researchers planned, how many people, and what they planned to measure | The results, unless results are posted on the entry |
| FDA letter (2012) | What the FDA said it was studying and planned to do | Whether any specific energy drink is safe or unsafe |
| Published trial | What the people in the study did under the conditions tested | How the drink affects people at doses, durations or in groups that were not studied |
Who should be careful with energy drinks?
MD Anderson Cancer Center’s dietitian article, dated August 25, 2025, says research suggests energy drinks aren’t recommended for children or adolescents, people with heart conditions or a family history of heart conditions, pregnant and lactating women, and people taking stimulant medications. The FDA’s 2012 letter said it may be advisable for certain subpopulations, including children and pregnant women, to limit their caffeine consumption. If any of these describe you, ask your doctor or pharmacist before you drink one.
Before you rely on the story
- Find the study or document named in the news story and note its title and date.
- Match it to a row in the table above: adverse event report, registered trial, letter, or published trial.
- Open the ClinicalTrials.gov entry and check for posted results, participant numbers and the measures used.
- For a published trial, check the dose, the group size and how long people were followed.
- For your own use, read the can’s label for caffeine per serving and add up every caffeine source in your day.
If you want to see how a supplement’s study and its refund terms are set out side by side, the redimind reviews page covers that for one product. For how a drink’s ingredients and safety section can be read line by line, the ultimate gold detox drink review is another worked example.
