A large study published July 19 in JAMA Internal Medicine found that each additional cup of coffee consumed per day was associated with a 3 percent reduced risk of tachyarrhythmia. The results were based on data collected from more than 386,000 participants in the United Kingdom, ranging in age from 40 to 69, who completed questionnaires, underwent physical examinations, and provided biological samples. Gregory M. Marcus, MD, the associate chief of cardiology for research at the University of California in San Francisco (UCSF) Health, conducted the research with colleagues. He highlighted that in the study, arrhythmia risk was not affected by an individual’s genetically based ability to metabolize caffeine. “Coffee serves as the primary source of caffeine for most individuals, and it has a reputation for causing or exacerbating arrhythmias,” wrote the study authors. “The findings of this study failed to provide any evidence that coffee consumption heightens the risk of developing arrhythmias. Instead, on the basis of self-report of coffee consumption, the results suggest that coffee intake may in fact reduce the risk of arrhythmias, with the strongest evidence pertaining to [the development of] atrial arrhythmias [in the upper chambers of the heart] and supraventricular tachycardia [a condition where your heart suddenly beats much faster than normal].” “Despite over a decade of solid research, I still hear colleagues caution patients against drinking coffee,” said Dr. Samaan. “This study should provide more reassurance that we can put that issue to rest. However, it is important to understand that the study only looked at coffee, and not caffeine-powered energy drinks, which may act very differently.” In accompanying commentary, Zachary Goldberger, MD, a cardiologist at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinic, and Rodney Hayward, MD, a professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, wrote that the results should provide relief to many patients with benign palpitations who are devastated when they think, or are told, that they have to stop drinking coffee. The doctors believe the investigation suggests that “waking up to a cup of coffee is not a dangerous ritual,” but they did not rule out the possibility of cardiovascular issues aggravated by caffeine. “It will be more important to listen to patients about their symptoms in association with coffee or caffeine exposure and engage in shared decision-making on an individual level,” wrote Dr. Goldberger and Dr. Hayward.
