For years, coffee was listed as the culprit of several heart problems, such as cardiac arrhythmias. Several experts even advised against taking this infusion to avoid heart problems. However, recent studies have pointed out that sustained consumption of this legendary drink would improve the quality of life of its consumers. In this regard, Dr. Fernando de Valais, a cardiologist specializing in arrhythmias and electrophysiology, Arrhythmia Alliance Argentina Foundation, dismissed these claims and recalled the results of the latest scientific research.
“At the annual congress of the American College of Cardiology, held in Washington, Dr. Peter M. Kistler and colleagues from Melbourne, Australia, presented the results of an extensive database and concluded that the intake of 2 to 3 cups of coffee per day decreases by 8 to 15%, in 10 years, the risk of death and cardiovascular events, without increasing the incidence of arrhythmias,” said the specialist in dialogue with Infobae.
According to some estimates, atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common among clinically important cardiac arrhythmias, affects some 33.5 million people worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) also stated that cardiovascular diseases, including arrhythmias, are the leading cause of death worldwide, with some 17.7 million people dying from this cause in 2015
“The causal role of certain conditions or habits in relation to arrhythmias is very clear, but there is insufficient scientific evidence when it comes to coffee,” said de Valais. In this regard, the expert said that “among the different components of coffee beans, the best known is caffeine, with stimulating action on the central nervous system, the heart and the entire cardiovascular system”, which is why “coffee tends to be associated with an increased risk of suffering from heart disease and, even, arrhythmias (which may be supraventricular - such as atrial fibrillation, which is the most common one - or ventricular).”
Heart arrhythmias occur when the heart registers an irregular heartbeat and occurs when the electrical impulses that drive the heartbeat don't work properly, so it may beat too fast (tachycardia), or slow (bradycardia), or irregularly. “Based on mostly anecdotal experiences, 80% of physicians in the Western world report the marked reduction or total suppression of coffee in their patients with palpitations or arrhythmias,” said de Valais.
At the same time, he recalled another research whose results were recently disseminated. The study by Dr. Eun-Jeong Kim and colleagues (published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine in 2021) evaluated 386,258 people for an average of 4.5 years. The study noted that volunteers, with an average age of 56 years, reduced the incidence of different arrhythmias by 3% after each additional dose of coffee, “regardless of the participants' condition of slow or fast metabolizers.”
In addition, the cardiologist specializing in arrhythmias and electrophysiology, Fundación Arrhythmia Alliance Argentina, assured that the statistical methodology of the study “allowed to exclude elements that could confuse such as alcohol consumption, smoking, the level of education achieved and physical activity.” While noting: “In a study based on the integration of information from 6 clinical trials with 228,465 participants (what is known as “meta-analysis”), Min Cheng and colleagues found an additional 6% reduction in the occurrence of atrial fibrillation per 30 mg of caffeine per day,” this pathology is the” more frequent sustained arrhythmia and causes at least 1 in 4 or 5 strokes”.
It is worth noting that a moderate intake of coffee is considered, according to data from observational studies, “between one and 3 cups a day, which is equivalent to a maximum of 270 mg of caffeine,” said the expert.
In that tone, de Valais listed the amounts of coffee and its consequent relationship with the caffeine they contain:
- The amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee (150 ml) is 90 milligrams.
- The amount of caffeine in a cup of decaffeinated coffee (150 ml) is 3 milligrams.
- The amount of caffeine in a cup of tea reaches 40 milligrams.
- The amount of caffeine contained in a can of cola drink (330 milliliters) is 40 milligrams.
“It should be noted that, at equal weight, tea contains more caffeine than coffee, but, in general, less tea is used to prepare a cup and, in addition, it depends on the time it is immersed in hot water,” said the expert. Finally, he clarified: “In individual cases, where there is a clear temporal association between the occurrence of arrhythmias and coffee intake, coffee should be avoided,” while adding: “Although observational studies have questionable aspects and should not be used to substantiate behaviors, they do seem to show that they do not there is enough evidence to contraindicate coffee consumption for the purpose of preventing cardiac arrhythmias in the general population.” “In short, this is excellent news for those who enjoy coffee,” concluded the expert from the Arrhythmia Alliance Argentina Foundation (www.corazonada.org)
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