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Alsharq Tribune-AFP
A daily cup of coffee may protect against atrial fibrillation (AF), an irregular heartbeat that can cause heart failure, stroke, and premature death, a study has found.
Researchers have discovered a surprising heart health ally in coffee, according to a statement released Monday by Australia's University of Adelaide, which co-led the study with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in the United States.
In the first randomized clinical trial looking at the link between coffee and AF, scientists found that AF patients who consumed at least one cup of coffee or espresso shot a day had a 39-percent reduction in the risk of a recurrent AF episode than those who avoided caffeine altogether, the statement said, adding the six-month trial followed 200 AF patients from Australia, the United States and Canada.
"This is surprising as it goes against the common assumption by doctors and patients that coffee worsens heart rhythm disorders such as AF," said the study's first author, Christopher X. Wong, a professor of the University of Adelaide and Royal Adelaide Hospital.
"Based on these results, coffee-drinking patients with AF can safely continue to enjoy their coffee. Furthermore, it may be worth investigating whether AF patients who don't drink coffee should actually consider starting," said Wong.
AF prevents the heart from pumping blood properly, raising risks of blood clots and stroke.
"Coffee increases physical activity which is known to reduce AF. Caffeine is also a diuretic which could potentially reduce blood pressure and in turn lessen AF risk," said the study's senior author Gregory Marcus, a professor from the Division of Cardiology at UCSF.
Several other ingredients in coffee also have anti-inflammatory properties that could have positive effects, Marcus said, adding the study should change the medical advice given to patients.
