The surprise heart benefit of coffee that can protect people against irregular heartbeats
Popular daily drink that could help prevent common heart condition
- A new study indicates that consuming just one cup of coffee daily may help protect against atrial fibrillation (A-Fib), a common heart condition affecting over 10 million Americans.
- A-Fib is a disorder linked to sudden heart death, heart failure and strokes, with its prevalence increasing due to factors like rising obesity and an aging population.
- Contrary to traditional medical advice, the peer-reviewed research found that daily coffee consumption reduced the risk of A-Fib episodes by 39 percent.
- The study, involving 200 adults with A-Fib, compared a group drinking at least one cup of coffee daily with another group that abstained from caffeine after electrical cardioversion.
- Researchers observed a significantly lower risk of recurrent A-Fib in the coffee-drinking group (47 percent) compared to the caffeine-abstaining group (64 percent), though some individuals may still find caffeine a trigger.