Question: It has been rumored that one can get a heart attack from drinking both Red Bull and vodka. Is this true?

Answer: Is a wide-awake drunk more appealing than a sleeping drunk? Red Bull is a high fructose jolt of caffeine whose consumption with vodka is based on the assumption that the answer to this question is yes. Is the wide-awake drunk at a higher risk of a heart attack? I don’t know.

Heart attacks can strike at any time. I would be surprised if nobody drinking Red Bull and vodka has ever suffered a heart attack (I would be equally surprised if nobody having milk and cookies has ever suffered a heart attack). The rumors can be tested by epidemiological studies (is there a higher incidence of heart attacks in Red Bull/vodka drinkers than in equivalent milk drinkers?), and by animal studies (do mice drinking Red Bull/vodka show more signs of heart disease than non-drinking mice?). These studies have not been done: We simply do not know.

We do not know if people under stress (exams, anyone?) are more prone to health risks from Red Bull/vodka. Until such studies are done, don’t forget that we already know for certain that a wide-awake drunk is at great risk from many things. These include ridicule and drunk driving.