August 27/New York/NewsDay -- Energy drinks containing caffeine and taurine boost heart function in healthy people, an Italian study found.
Function in the left and right ventricles, which pump blood to the body, increased one hour after consuming an energy drink, according to the researchers, who used echocardiography on 35 healthy people with an average age of 25. Diastolic blood pressure rose 6%, while an increase in heart rate and systolic blood pressure was not statistically significant, they said. The results were presented at the European Society of Cardiology conference in Munich.