Huge Spike in Energy Drink-Related Visits to the ER, Study Says

The newest study related to energy drinks shouldn't be much of a surprise, considering the FDA reports linked to Monster Energy Drinks and 5-Hour Energy. A new government-backed study shows that emergency room visits caused by energy drink-related health problems more than doubled in the last four years. 

As the Associated Press notes, it's the same timeframe in which the energy drink business began to boom. But the study gives us reason to be concerned. The number of ER visits (based on surveys from 230 hospitals around the country) related to energy drinks rose from 10,000 in 2007 to more than 20,000 by 2011; most of the ER visits were by teenagers and young adults. The symptoms weren't provided in the study, but it's become a known fact that energy drinks can be related to heart problems, insomnia, nervousness, headaches, and seizures. 

The American Beverage Association responded to the report and said that patients' previous health conditions were unknown, and that there was no way to know what the caffeine levels were in the patients. 

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