Coffee may help protect against A-Fib
by University
of California, San Francisco
Edited by Andrew Zinin
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Doctors typically recommend that people with heart issues
like A-Fib avoid caffeine out of fear that it will trigger symptoms. But a
study by UC San Francisco and the University of Adelaide has concluded that
drinking a cup of caffeinated coffee a day reduced
A-Fib by 39%.
"Coffee increases physical activity which
is known to reduce atrial fibrillation," said Gregory M. Marcus, MD, MAS,
who holds the Endowed Professorship in Atrial Fibrillation Research and is an
electrophysiologist at UCSF Health. Marcus is the senior author of the paper,
which appears Nov. 9 in JAMA. "Caffeine is also a diuretic, which could
potentially reduce blood
pressure and in turn lessen A-Fib risk. Several other ingredients in
coffee also have anti-inflammatory
properties that could have positive effects."
A-Fib has been increasing in recent years along with obesity
and the aging population. A-Fib, which has been diagnosed in more than 10
million U.S. adults, is estimated to affect up to 1 in 3 people.
Researchers named their study DECAF for Does Eliminating
Coffee Avoid Fibrillation? It is the first randomized clinical trial to
investigate the link between caffeinated coffee and A-Fib.
The study enrolled 200 coffee-drinking patients with persistent atrial fibrillation, or a related condition called atrial flutter along with a history of A-Fib. They were scheduled for electrical cardioversion, which gives a single electrical shock to shift the heart into a normal rhythm. They were randomly assigned either to consume at least one cup of caffeinated coffee or an espresso shot each day—or abstain from coffee and other products that contain caffeine for six months.
The group that consumed coffee had a 39% lower risk of
recurrent A-Fib episodes. In addition to its anti-inflammatory effects,
researchers speculated that drinking coffee might also reduce the risk of A-Fib
simply by making people consume fewer unhealthy beverages.
"The results were astounding," said first author
Christopher X. Wong, Ph.D., of UCSF and the University of Adelaide and Royal
Adelaide Hospital. "Doctors have always recommended that patients with
problematic A-Fib minimize their coffee intake, but this trial suggests that
coffee is not only safe but likely to be protective."
More information: Christopher X. Wong et al,
Caffeinated Coffee Consumption or Abstinence to Reduce Atrial
Fibrillation, JAMA (2025). DOI:
10.1001/jama.2025.21056
Journal information: Journal
of the American Medical Association
