A daily cup of coffee may protect against atrial fibrillation (AFib), a common heart rhythm disorder that increases the risk of stroke and heart failure, new research suggests. Contrary to longstanding advice to limit caffeine, participants who drank at least one cup of caffeinated coffee each day had a 39% lower risk of AFib recurrence.
The findings come from the DECAF study, the first randomized trial to test the effects of coffee on AFib, conducted by the University of California, San Francisco and the University of Adelaide. The six-month trial involved 200 patients with persistent AFib or atrial fibrillation undergoing electrical cardioversion. Researchers suggest that the benefits of coffee may come from its anti-inflammatory compounds, diuretic effects that lower blood pressure, and are less likely to replace healthy beverages.
“The results were surprising,” says first author Christopher X Wong. Senior author Gregory M Marcus adds that coffee can also increase physical activity and further reduce the risk of AFib. Research shows that moderate coffee consumption is safe and possibly protective for heart rhythms.
Source: University of California, San Francisco
This article is in Journal of Wellbeing 222
