In a post shared in March 2023, Dr Hafiza Khan, MD (cardiology), cardiac electrophysiologist, trained at UCLA and Harvard, talked about the correlation between coffee and heart arrhythmias.
For the uninitiated, a heart arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat, which occurs when the electrical signals that tell the heart to beat don't work properly, leading to the heart beating too fast or too slow. In the post, Dr Khan cited a March 2023 study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, and talked about how a cup or more of coffee affects our heart.
The study
According to the cardiologist, the small study featured 100 healthy volunteers (51 percent women, mostly white or Asian, of an average age of 39 years old). She stated, “Prior to the study, most participants drank about 1 cup per day. Patients were assigned to either consume coffee or abstain for 48 hr at a time by text message the evening before. They wore patch monitors to record heart rhythm and step counters.”
{{/usCountry}}According to the cardiologist, the small study featured 100 healthy volunteers (51 percent women, mostly white or Asian, of an average age of 39 years old). She stated, “Prior to the study, most participants drank about 1 cup per day. Patients were assigned to either consume coffee or abstain for 48 hr at a time by text message the evening before. They wore patch monitors to record heart rhythm and step counters.”
{{/usCountry}}Results
The study found that in the healthy volunteers, caffeine present in coffee:
1. Did not increase the number of premature atrial beats: extra/skip beats from the top of the heart.
2. On days they drank coffee, the volunteers had 1,000 more steps per day.
3. Coffee consumption was associated with an increased number of PVC (premature ventricular beats). These are extra beats from the bottom of the heart.
4. When they drank coffee, the volunteers had on average 30 minutes less sleep that night.
5. Coffee did not affect blood glucose in these non diabetic volunteers.
Is drinking coffee okay for the heart?
The bottom line, according to the cardiologist, was that for most people, 1 to 3 cups of pure coffee is okay for the heartbeat. However, she warned:
- Excess coffee can worsen heartburn and reflux
- Coffee and caffeine are not synonymous
- Coffee (and tea) in its pure form is equal to Mother Nature’s caffeine vs energy drinks and soda forms of caffeine.
'What is not okay, and don't extrapolate…'
1. Sugary coffee drinks with loads of caramel, sugar, and cream!
2. Caffeine in the form of energy drinks, pre-workout supplements, where massive amounts of caffeine are concentrated for “energy boosting “
Lastly, the cardiologist also pointed out that the study was done with healthy volunteers, it was a small study done on only 100 people, and lastly, they only drank coffee, not other forms of caffeine like energy drinks or sodas. “So don’t extrapolate to all caffeine,” she warned.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
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