Analysis of the scientific production on energy drinks and cardiovascular diseases: A scientometric approach

Objective: An analysis of the scientific production in energy drink consumption and cardiac problems from January 2019 to December 2024 was conducted. Methods: A retrospective, scientometric study was carried out. No ethical approval was required since this study used secondary data drawn from the Scopus database. A literature search was performed in Scopus on December 20, 2024, identifying 52 documents from 2019 to 2024 (33 articles, 14 reviews, two book chapters, one letter, one erratum, and one conference paper), which comprise 52 documents on energy drinks and cardiac problems. SciVal was used in R Studio for the analysis of impact and collaboration. Several metrics were evaluated, including the yearly growth rate of papers, average age of papers, citations, and thematic evolution. Results: Between 2019 and 2024, a total of 52 papers were analyzed on energy drinks and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). With a negative annual growth rate, the participation of 234 authors from different institutions highlighted the global collaboration in this field. Greatly cited publications were concentrated in journals like Nutrients and institutions such as the Universidad Antonio de Nebrija. The most common terms, particularly “caffeine” and “energy drinks,” underscored heavy research on the effects of caffeine consumption on cardiovascular health. These observations not only underscore the value of further detailed analyses of health-related risk factors but also create a dark mark on future research in this area. Conclusion: Between 2019 and 2024, scientific production on energy drinks and CVDs showed low growth, yet worldwide collaboration and quality of publications were reported. High citation counts highlighted the importance of key contributions. The analysis identified a gap in the literature, specifically on the need for longitudinal research into long-term cardiovascular risks. Such findings emphasize the importance of further studies in exploring both the potential benefits and risks posed by energy drink consumption vis-a-vis cardiovascular health.