A new study suggests that drinking coffee every day might help protect your heart from a common condition called atrial fibrillation, or AFib.
This condition causes the heart to beat too fast or irregularly and can lead to serious health issues like stroke or heart failure.
For a long time, doctors told people with AFib or other heart problems to avoid caffeine, thinking it could make things worse. But new research from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the University of Adelaid…
The research team found that people who drank one cup of coffee per day had a 39% lower chance of developing AFib compared to those who avoided coffee. The study was published on November 9 in the medical journal JAMA.
Dr. Gregory Marcus, a heart specialist at UCSF and senior author of the study, explained that coffee might help because it encourages people to move more. Physical activity is known to lower the risk of AFib. He also mentioned that caffeine acts as a diuretic, which may help reduce blood pre…
AFib is becoming more common due to aging populations and rising obesity rates. In the U.S. alone, more than 10 million adults have been diagnosed with AFib. Experts believe that one in three people may develop the condition in their lifetime.
To better understand coffee’s effect, researchers conducted the DECAF study (Does Eliminating Coffee Avoid Fibrillation?), the first randomized clinical trial to test if coffee affects AFib. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.
They recruited 200 regular coffee drinkers who had persistent AFib or a similar condition called atrial flutter. All participants were scheduled for a procedure called electrical cardioversion, which uses a controlled electric shock to reset the heart’s rhythm.
The participants were randomly split into two groups: one group was told to drink at least one cup of caffeinated coffee or an espresso each day, while the other group had to avoid all coffee and caffeinated drinks for six months.
At the end of the study, those who drank coffee had a 39% lower risk of having another AFib episode. The researchers believe that coffee might have anti-inflammatory effects. Also, people who drank coffee may have avoided sugary drinks like soda, which are less healthy.
Dr. Christopher Wong, the first author of the study, said the results were surprising. He noted that for years, doctors told AFib patients to limit coffee, but the trial shows it might actually help protect the heart.
While more research is needed, this study suggests that moderate coffee consumption could be safe—and even beneficial—for people with heart rhythm issues.
If you care about heart health, please read studies that yogurt may help lower the death risks in heart disease, and coconut sugar could help reduce artery stiffness.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that Vitamin D deficiency can increase heart disease risk, and results showing vitamin B6 linked to lower death risk in heart disease.
The study is published in JAMA.
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