coffee May Offer Protection Against Heart Rhythm Problems, Study Suggests
New Orleans, LA – A new US study published yesterday in the Journal of the american Medical Association indicates that drinking coffee may actually protect against cardiac arrhythmias, specifically atrial fibrillation – a common heart rhythm disorder that can lead to stroke and heart failure. The findings were also presented at the American Heart Association conference in New orleans.
The six-month clinical trial followed 200 adults with a history of persistent cardiac arrhythmias from the United States, Canada, and Australia. Participants, all regular coffee drinkers for at least five years, were divided into two groups: one continued to drink at least one cup of coffee daily, while the other significantly reduced their caffeine intake.
Researchers found a “significantly” lower rate of arrhythmia recurrence in the group allowed to continue drinking coffee. Specifically, 47% of those who continued coffee consumption experienced a recurrence, compared to 64% in the group that abstained.
“The study shows how protective caffeinated coffee actually appears to be in preventing atrial fibrillation,” explained Dr. Gregory Marcus, a cardiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, in an interview with NBC News.
However, researchers caution that the study isn’t definitive.A key limitation is that lifestyle factors like exercise and diet were not controlled for, potentially influencing the results.
Dr. Johanna Contreras, a cardiologist at Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital in new York, told NBC News that the study suggests moderate coffee consumption is highly likely safe for individuals with atrial fibrillation - a departure from previous assumptions. While she agrees the findings are promising,she stopped short of definitively stating coffee offers a protective benefit.
This research offers a potentially encouraging outlook for coffee lovers, but further investigation is needed to fully understand the relationship between caffeine and heart health.
