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Energy drinks could prove harmful to people with heart disease, a study reports.

Healthy adults who drank two cans of energy drink a day experienced increased heart rate and blood pressure, according to the study published in Annals of Pharmacotherapy.

While the increase was not thought significant in healthy adults, it could prove harmful to those with a pre-existing heart condition.

Dr James Kalus, lead author of the study at Henry Ford Hospital, said: "Based on our findings, we recommend that people who have hypertension or heart disease and are taking medication for them to avoid consuming energy drinks because of a potential risk to their health."

It is believed that the effects observed could be caused by the drinks’ high levels of taurine and caffeine, both known to have a direct effect on cardiac function, according to Dr Kalus.

This latest research follows reports by Talking Retail that one of the UK’s leading energy drink manufacturers will launch a larger, 473 ml can version of its drink at the end of the month to meet consumer demand.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with heart conditions.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at 5:00 pm and is filed under Blood Pressure.