In the past, there were several scientific studies that showed that regular coffee drinking could cause health-threatening heart palpitations. A new study shows that regular caffeine intake does not cause interruption to cardiac rhythms. Fears that caffeine could trigger heart palpitations has deterred many people from drinking coffee. Doctors would advise their patients against regular consumption of caffeinated products to prevent disturbances in the cardiac rhythm.
The study involved 1,388 participants
Researchers at the University of California-San Francisco now say that physicians need to reconsider it because they may be unnecessarily discouraging consumption of caffeinated items that might have cardiovascular benefits. Lead author Dr Gregory Marcus said his team’s finding is even more relevant given recent studies demonstrating that extra heartbeat could be dangerous.
Findings of the study were published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. It was the largest ever study on the relationship between dietary patterns and extra heartbeats. The 12-month long study involved 1,388 people with an average age of 72 years. About 61% of the participants consumed some sorts of caffeinated products every day. They all wore a portable device that monitored their heart rhythm 24 hours a day.
No evidence that coffee consumption increases PAC or PVC
Scientists measured premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), which may lead to coronary artery disease, heart failure, and death. They also measured for instances of premature atrial contractions (PACs) that have been associated with atrial fibrillation, stroke and death. Scientists said there was no evidence that coffee consumption caused PVCs or PACs to occur more often.
Dr Marcus said the previous studies that linked coffee consumption to both types of contractions were conducted decades ago. And those studies did not use PVCs and PACs as a primary outcome. These findings may cause uncertainty among doctors while counselling patients on consumption of caffeinated products. Previous studies looked at people with known heart rate disorders, but this was the first community-based sample to study the impact of coffee on heart rhythms.
