MILAN – For most heart patients, coffee and tea are safe and may sometimes reduce the frequency of arrhythmias, Australian researchers report.
Many doctors advise patients with abnormal heart rhythms (“arrhythmias”) to avoid caffeine. But for some people coffee may help prevent abnormal heartbeats, the research said.
“Although coffee increases your heart rate, it does not make it abnormal,” explained senior researcher Dr. Peter Kistler.
He is director of electrophysiology at Alfred Hospital and Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne.
“We found that there is no detrimental effects of coffee on heart rhythm and, in fact, coffee at up to three cups per day may be protective,” he said.
Some people, however, may notice palpitations after drinking coffee, Kistler added, and those folks should avoid caffeine.
To see how caffeine affects patients with the common heart rhythm disorder known as atrial fibrillation, Kistler and colleagues looked at eight previously published studies.
“We have completed the largest review of the medical literature to date to determine the relationship between coffee and arrhythmias, or abnormal heartbeats,” he said.
Kistler’s group found that, among more than 228,000 patients, drinking coffee cut the frequency of episodes of atrial fibrillation by 6 percent. A further analysis of nearly 116,000 patients found a 13 percent risk reduction.
One cup of coffee contains about 95 milligrams of caffeine and acts as a stimulant to the central nervous system. Caffeine also blocks adenosine, a chemical that can trigger atrial fibrillation, Kistler explained.
In addition, the researchers found that caffeine had no effect on abnormal heartbeats in the lower chambers of the heart, called ventricular arrhythmias.
As many as six cups of coffee a day, about 500 milligrams of caffeine, did not increase the severity or rate of ventricular arrhythmias, the study authors said.
Moreover, one study of 103 heart attack patients who got about 353 milligrams of caffeine a day found improved heart rate and no significant arrhythmias, according to the new report.
Two studies, however, found an increase in the risk for ventricular arrhythmias among patients who drank as much as nine or 10 cups of coffee a day.
Kistler’s team did find that patients with heart conditions should avoid caffeinated energy drinks. These drinks can each contain 160 to 500 milligrams of concentrated caffeine.
