Good news for coffee enthusiasts, your daily cup could be beneficial for your heart. A recent study has discovered that drinking coffee might decrease the chances of developing atrial fibrillation (AFib), a widespread heart rhythm disorder that can result in severe health problems like stroke or heart failure.

For a long time, medical professionals have advised individuals with heart conditions to limit caffeine intake, as it was believed to make irregular heartbeats worse. However, new research from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the University of Adelaide has challenged this advice. The study was published in the medical journal JAMA and was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

The study found that people who drank one cup of caffeinated coffee daily had a 39% lower risk of developing AFib compared to those who avoided caffeine entirely.

What Is AFib and Why It Matters

AFib occurs when the heart's upper chambers beat irregularly and out of sync with the lower chambers. This can lead to rapid, fluttering, or pounding heartbeats. Over time, it can increase the risk of blood clots, stroke, and other heart-related issues.

Over 10 million adults in the United States are currently living with AFib, and experts predict that as many as one in three people may experience it in their lifetime. With cases on the rise due to an ageing population and higher obesity rates, finding simple lifestyle changes that can help prevent AFib has become a major focus for researchers.

How Coffee Might Help

Dr Gregory Marcus, the senior author of the study and a heart rhythm specialist at UCSF Health, explained that coffee may protect the heart in multiple ways. He said that coffee promotes physical activity, which is known to lower the risk of atrial fibrillation. It also acts as a mild diuretic which can help reduce blood pressure, and coffee contains natural anti-inflammatory compounds that may benefit the heart.

Testing Coffee's Effect on the Heart

To determine whether coffee is beneficial or harmful, researchers conducted the DECAF study, an acronym for“Does Eliminating Coffee Avoid Fibrillation?” This was the first randomised clinical trial to directly investigate the impact of coffee on AFib.

The trial included 200 regular coffee drinkers who already had AFib or a related heart rhythm condition. All participants were scheduled for a procedure called electrical cardioversion, where doctors use a small electrical shock to restore normal heart rhythm.

Half of the participants were instructed to drink at least one cup of caffeinated coffee (or an espresso shot) every day for six months, while the other half were told to completely stop consuming coffee and all caffeinated drinks.

Coffee Drinkers Had Better Outcomes

After six months, the group that drank coffee had a 39% lower chance of experiencing another episode of AFib compared to those who avoided caffeine. The researchers also suggested that coffee drinkers might have naturally replaced less healthy drinks like sugary soft drinks with coffee, which could have contributed to the observed benefits.

The findings show that, in moderation, coffee is not only safe, it may even help protect the heart.

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