A 21-Year-Old Student With Severe Kidney and Heart Failure — The Culprit Was a Familiar Drink, Not Alcohol

When people hear about kidney failure or heart failure, they usually imagine older adults with long-term illnesses. Few would expect a healthy 21-year-old male student to end up in intensive care with severe kidney and heart failure. Even more shocking was the cause: not alcohol, not drugs — but a drink many young people consume daily without a second thought.

This case has sparked serious concern among doctors, because the habits involved are extremely common, especially among students.

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What Happened?

The young man was admitted to the hospital with:

• Severe shortness of breath

• Extreme fatigue

• Swelling in the legs and face

• Abnormal heart rhythm

• Rapidly declining kidney function

Tests confirmed acute kidney failure combined with heart failure, a life-threatening combination. Doctors initially suspected alcohol abuse or illegal substances — but toxicology tests came back negative.

The real cause turned out to be something far more ordinary.

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The Real Culprit: Excessive Energy Drink Consumption

Doctors traced the damage to chronic overconsumption of energy drinks.

According to the medical team, the student had been drinking:

• Multiple energy drinks every day

• Often on an empty stomach

• Frequently late at night while studying

• Sometimes combined with little sleep and dehydration

This pattern continued for months.

Energy drinks are marketed as harmless performance boosters, but in high doses, they place extreme stress on both the kidneys and the heart.

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Why Energy Drinks Can Be So Dangerous

Energy drinks contain a powerful mix of substances that can overwhelm the body when consumed excessively.

1. Extremely High Caffeine Levels

Many energy drinks contain 2–3 times more caffeine than coffee.

Excess caffeine can:

• Increase heart rate and blood pressure

• Trigger abnormal heart rhythms

• Cause dehydration

• Reduce blood flow to the kidneys

Over time, this can lead to cardiac strain and kidney damage, even in young people.

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2. Sugar Overload

Some energy drinks contain the equivalent of 10–15 teaspoons of sugar per can.

High sugar intake:

• Raises blood glucose rapidly

• Increases inflammation

• Forces the kidneys to work harder

• Raises long-term risk of diabetes and kidney disease

Sugar spikes combined with caffeine are especially harmful.

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3. Additives That Stress the Kidneys

Ingredients like taurine, guarana, and synthetic stimulants are often poorly regulated.

When consumed in excess, they can:

• Disrupt electrolyte balance

• Increase toxin buildup

• Impair kidney filtration

The kidneys are forced to filter these compounds repeatedly, accelerating damage.

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Why the Heart Is Also Affected

The heart and kidneys are deeply connected. When one fails, the other is often affected.

In this case:

• Caffeine overstimulated the heart

• Blood pressure rose dangerously

• Fluid balance was disrupted due to kidney failure

• The heart struggled to pump effectively

This vicious cycle led to simultaneous heart and kidney failure, a condition known as cardiorenal syndrome.