Couldn't tell you. All I know is that my Medic friend stays well clear of the stuff. That's as good a warning as I need (says the man who'll be necking a Red Bull in 6 hours).
Most of the stuff I've read about it in the past was pointing towards the benefits, hell I even take it as a supplement, it's only when the words Red Bull (probably due to the caffeine I'd imagine in Red Bull) are thrown in it seems to get a lot of shit.
To throw something out, the May 2011 issue of Journal of Cardiology said that taurine showed improvements in exercise time, distance, and tolerance in individuals suffering from heart failure.
I guess it depends on doses etc. too and various other variables.