Doctors have long advised against drinking coffee for their patients who have atrial fibrillation (AFib) but recent study results show that coffee may actually help protect against AFib.
The recent study was conducted at UC San Francisco and the University of Adelaide and it examined the relationship between caffeinated coffee and AFib. Two hundred AFib patients who consumed coffee on a regular basis were included in the study. All of the patients were slated to undergo electrical cardioversion to restore a normal heart rhythm.
The 200 patients were then arbitrarily assigned to drink at least one cup of caffeinated coffee or shot of espresso daily or they were assigned to completely abstain from coffee and all other caffeinated beverages for six months.
The results revealed that the coffee/espresso drinking group saw a 39% lower risk of recurring AFib episodes. Researchers theorize that the increase in physical activity caused by coffee reduces the incidence of AFib since physical activity is known to help reduce AFib. In addition, coffee is rich in anti-inflammatory properties which could also be of benefit in reducing the incidence of AFib.
