Prepregnancy energy drink consumption may raise gestational hypertension risk

Women who consume energy drinks before pregnancy may potentially be at increased risk of gestational hypertension, as reported in a study.

For the study, researchers looked at 3,045 women (mean age 30.2 years) enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study 3 (NHS3) and 1,691 women (mean age 25.7 years) in the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS) who had at least one singleton pregnancy.

Outcomes assessed were self-reported adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs), such as pregnancy loss, gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, or preterm birth, and a composite APO (defined as development of any of the APOs). These outcomes were compared between consumers and nonconsumers of energy drinks.

The analysis included 7,304 pregnancies in 4,736 participants with information on prepregnancy energy drink intake (GUSTO) and 4,559 pregnancies in 4,559 participants with information on energy drink intake during pregnancy (NHS3).

Any intake of energy drinks at baseline was reported in 230 GUTS participants (14 percent) and in 283 NHS3 participants (9 percent). Energy drink intake showed no associations with pregnancy loss (odds ratio [OR], 0.89, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.71–1.11), preterm birth (OR, 1.07, 95 percent CI, 0.71–1.61), gestational diabetes (OR, 0.89, 95 percent CI, 0.58–1.35), pre-eclampsia (OR, 0.73, 95 percent CI, 0.41–1.30), or the composite APO (OR, 1.05, 95 percent CI, 0.87–1.26). However, there was a risk increase seen for gestational hypertension (OR, 1.60, 95 percent CI, 1.12–2.29).

Of note, the association between energy drink intake and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy was stronger for participants above the median age (p=0.02 for interaction for gestational hypertension; p=0.04 for interaction for any hypertensive disorders).

Energy drink intake during pregnancy was not associated with any of the APOs (eg, any APO: OR, 0.86, 95 percent CI, 0.41–1.79).

The researchers warned that the results should be interpreted with caution, given the low prevalence of energy drink intake and low consumption levels among users.