Patients with arrhythmia — Causes include: Atrial fibrillation (AF)the most common heart rhythm disorder, has historically led to warnings to limit or eliminate caffeine.
However, new research shows that moderate coffee consumption It may actually reduce the recurrence of atrial fibrillation after treatment.
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco enrolled 200 adults with persistent atrial fibrillation who were scheduled for electrical diversion, a procedure that restores normal heart rhythm.
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Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group continued to drink caffeinated coffee (at least one cup) every day, while the other group was instructed to completely abstain from coffee and other caffeine-containing products for six months.
The primary objective was to determine whether AF was continuously occurring based on electrocardiogram recordings lasting at least 30 seconds. Researchers also monitored symptom severity and adverse events.
At six months, 47% of participants who continued drinking coffee had atrial fibrillation again, compared with 64% of those who did not continue drinking coffee. This means coffee drinkers have a 39% lower relative risk of recurrence.
No significant differences in side effects or adverse events were observed between groups, suggesting moderate efficacy. coffee intake It was well tolerated.
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The findings suggest that it may not be necessary for patients recovering from atrial fibrillation to avoid coffee, and in some cases it may even be counterproductive.
The results of a randomized clinical trial called “DECAF” (Does coffee elimination avoid fibrillation?) were published in JAMA.
“We were not surprised by the results, but we were surprised by the magnitude of the apparent protective effect,” corresponding author Dr. Gregory Marcus, associate chief of research cardiology at UCSF Health, told FOX News Digital.
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“patient [who have] “If you have atrial fibrillation or are worried about developing atrial fibrillation and currently prefer to drink caffeinated coffee, rest assured that it is safe to drink,” added Marcus, who is also a professor of medicine at UCSF.
Further studies are needed to confirm these findings, the researchers said.
“We will now seriously consider whether consuming caffeinated coffee may actually pose a health risk. lifestyle factors It helps patients with atrial fibrillation,” Marcus said.
The researchers acknowledged that the study had some limitations.
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“It is important to keep in mind that we are only enrolling people who have regularly consumed caffeinated coffee at some point in the past five years, and those who may not consume decaf coffee must be willing to be randomized,” Marcus noted.
Therefore, anyone suffering from caffeine-induced atrial fibrillation and choosing not to participate would not have been able to attend this event. these discoveries.
“People who drink many cups of caffeinated coffee a day may also have been less willing to let go of caffeinated coffee, which would have also reduced their representation in this study,” Marcus added.
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The study was also “open label,” meaning participants and researchers knew which group they were in. This can introduce bias, as expectations about the effects of caffeine can influence behavior and symptom reporting.
This study evaluated regular coffee intake, rather than high-dose caffeine sources such as coffee. energy drink Or supplements. The authors cautioned that the study results should not be interpreted as evidence that all caffeine is beneficial.
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“These positive results for caffeinated coffee should not be extrapolated to high-dose caffeine or synthetic caffeinated products such as energy drinks,” Marcus said.
Caffeinated energy drinks have been found to cause atrial fibrillation in some cases, even in very young and young people. healthy person.
