Coffee lovers are in luck because studies frequently appear that attribute healthy properties to this drink. Now new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association has added a new benefit to the list because it has found that drinking several cups of coffee every day can help prevent cognitive decline in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). ).
“There are many myths, but our study found no reason to discourage or prohibit a patient with atrial fibrillation from drinking coffee. Instead, let’s say: ‘Enjoy it, it may even be good for you,'” he said in a note. published by the American Heart Association Dr. Jürg H. Beer, lead author of the study and professor of medicine and hematology at the University of Zurich (Switzerland).
Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm disorder in adults. The 2023 ACC/AHA/ACCP/HRS Guideline for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation noted that abstaining from caffeine to prevent heart rhythm disturbances is not beneficial for people with atrial fibrillation. The guideline also notes that abstaining from coffee could reduce symptoms in patients who report that caffeine triggers or worsens their atrial fibrillation symptoms, which can include fast heart rate, dizziness, and fatigue, among others.
“Regular coffee consumption is known to benefit cognitive performance in healthy people. The most common cardiac arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, is known to independently increase the risk of dementia,” says Dr. Massimo Barbagallo, lead author of the study. and resident in the neurological intensive care unit of the University Hospital of Zurich. “So the question is whether coffee could offset the increased risk of cognitive decline in people with atrial fibrillation.”
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The Swiss Atrial Fibrillation Cohort Study (Swiss-AF) followed 2,413 people in Switzerland diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. Patients were enrolled between 2014 and 2017, completed several cognitive tests and reported how many cups of caffeinated coffee they drank over the past 12 months, regardless of added sweeteners, creamers or flavors. The cup size was not standardized.
When enrolled, participants completed several cognitive tests that measured their verbal skills, executive functioning, memory, processing speed, visual-motor coordination, and attention. These were combined into an overall cognitive ability score called Cognitive Construction (CoCo). Participants also completed a 30-item cognitive impairment screening test, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, which measures visuospatial and executive functions, object naming, memory, attention, language, and abstraction skills.
The researchers analyzed those cognitive assessments and examined whether drinking coffee could prevent cognitive decline, which is a known risk of atrial fibrillation. Because Alzheimer’s disease and atrial fibrillation are associated with systemic inflammation, the researchers also looked at markers of inflammation.
“There was a very clear and consistent dose-response association between drinking more coffee and doing better on several different sophisticated cognitive tests,” Beer said. “Inflammatory markers decreased with increased coffee consumption, an association that remained after accounting for variables such as age, sex, body mass index, smoking, physical activity, and history of stroke.”
The researchers noted that previous studies suggest that the protective effects of regular coffee consumption against cognitive decline in the elderly may be attributed to caffeine and other active ingredients, including magnesium and vitamin B3 (niacin), or that it may be due to the role of coffee in reducing chemicals that cause inflammation.
José A. Joglar, MD, FAHA, chair of the 2023 joint guideline on the treatment of atrial fibrillation, cautioned that this observational study cannot conclude that coffee actually prevents long-term cognitive decline.
“Other studies have shown that coffee has cognitive-enhancing functions in general. However, this is not specific to the atrial fibrillation population. We cannot conclude that coffee prevents long-term cognitive decline,” said Joglar, a professor of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. “Coffee does not appear to make atrial fibrillation worse, so there is no need to stop drinking it. However, we cannot say that starting to drink coffee will prevent atrial fibrillation or prevent long-term cognitive decline.”
Limitations of the study include the fact that the researchers measured participants’ cognitive ability and coffee consumption at the same time. This means that the study could not assess differences in cognitive decline with age and that current reported coffee consumption may not reflect changes in consumption over previous years. As a cross-sectional study conducted at one point in time, it cannot establish a cause-and-effect relationship between coffee consumption and cognitive performance. Additionally, the study may not be generalizable to other populations, as it included a majority white population in Switzerland, where people tend to drink espresso.
“To detect relevant cognitive impairment, follow-up of at least 5 to 10 years is required. However, the nutritional habits, including coffee consumption, reported by participants reflect exposure over many years and are likely Let’s see the results of this here,” concludes Barbagallo.
