Atrial fibrillation is when the heart beats irregularly and faster. The condition is common and affects around half a million Swedes. Since coffee can temporarily increase the heart rate, there has been some question as to whether it is best to avoid coffee if you have atrial fibrillation.
Previous studies have suggested that it does not increase the risk, and now there is further support for that. Researchers followed 200 people in the US, Australia and Canada who all had atrial fibrillation. They were randomly assigned to drink at least one cup of coffee a day, while others abstained from both coffee and other caffeinated beverages for six months.
It turned out that people in the group who drank coffee had a 39 percent lower risk of suffering from recurrent atrial fibrillation than those who abstained. In the study, published in the journal Jama, most people in the coffee-drinking group drank one cup a day, while some drank up to three cups. The study does not say anything about how larger amounts of coffee affect the heart.
"The results were startling. Doctors have long advised patients with atrial fibrillation to reduce their coffee drinking, but this study suggests that coffee is not only harmless, it may even be protective."
The researchers write that there may be several explanations for why coffee could reduce the risk of atrial fibrillation. First, caffeine is a diuretic, which helps lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of fibrillation. Second, it may be that people who drink coffee abstain from other unhealthy beverages.
