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2h ago

Daily Coffee Tied to Fewer AFib Recurrences in First Randomized Trial

Published in JAMA and presented at the AHA meeting, the DECAF trial supports individualized guidance as moderate intake appears safe for habitual coffee drinkers with atrial fibrillation.

Patients who drank at least one cup of coffee a day had a 39 percent lower chance of recurrent AFib in the 6 months after procedure.
New study suggests that caffeine can prevent irregular heartbeats.
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Overview

  • DECAF randomized 200 habitual coffee drinkers after successful cardioversion to either drink about one cup of caffeinated coffee daily or abstain from all caffeine for six months.
  • Participants assigned to coffee had a 39% lower risk of recurrent atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter, with episodes in 47% of the coffee group versus 64% of the abstinence group.
  • The trial spanned sites in the United States, Canada, and Australia and is the first randomized controlled study directly testing caffeine’s effect on AFib recurrence.
  • Limitations include a modest sample size and imperfect adherence in the abstinence arm (about 69% avoided coffee), and the findings apply to moderate intake among regular consumers, not heavy use or non‑drinkers.
  • Experts note the results align with 2023 ACC/AHA guidance that caffeine abstinence does not prevent AFib, and they recommend discussing coffee intake with clinicians to tailor advice to individual symptoms.