Myth: Coffee causes atrial fibrillation
Truth: Regular coffee drinkers have less chance of having a relapse of atrial fibrillation than do people who abstain from caffeine.
If a hit of caffeine gets us jittery it must mean it’s bad for out hearts, right? Surely people who have had an episode of arrhythmia, atrial flutter or atrial fibrilliation in the past should steer clear of coffee? Let’s take a look at clinical data before we toss our stash of colombian jumping beans.
Will knocking back a shot or two of espresso of a morning will have your heart dancing a wild polka instead of a stately tango? Not so!
UCSF cardiologists recently discovered that not only does a daily cup of coffee not trigger a relapse of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. It might even lower your chances of a future cardiac fandango! Find the details here.
Wong CX, Cheung CC, Montenegro G, et al. Caffeinated Coffee Consumption or Abstinence to Reduce Atrial Fibrillation: The DECAF Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. Published online November 9, 2025. doi:10.1001/jama.2025.21056
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