| A new study shows that drinking coffee in | | | | L. Klatsky, MD, senior consultant in cardiology at |
| moderation can actually help prevent serious | | | | Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in |
| problems and hospitalization caused by irregular | | | | Oakland, California on the health care company's |
| heart beat. | | | | website. |
| One of the researchers of this study has | | | | The study does not provide enough evidence to |
| reported that people who drink 4 or more cups | | | | actually say that people should drink caffeine, or |
| of coffee each day had nearly an 18 percent less | | | | coffee to prevent these heart problems, he |
| chance of being hospitalized from problems | | | | clarified, but it does show that people who have |
| stemming from heart rhythm problems. | | | | rhythm problems do not necessarily need to stop |
| The details of the study were released in San | | | | drinking coffee. |
| Francisco at the American Heart Associations | | | | The study was done on 130,000 recipients of |
| 50th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular | | | | Kaiser Permanente health insurance. It looked at |
| Disease Epidemiology and Prevention on March 5, | | | | data during routine physicals from 1978 to 1985 |
| 2010. | | | | that patients provided regarding their coffee, |
| According to Kaiser Permanente, which did the | | | | alcohol and smoking habits. Klatsky said that the |
| research, although it has been established that | | | | group of people was actually studied until 2008. |
| very large doses of caffeine can lead to rhythm | | | | The results of the study showed that people with |
| problems, there has been little research about the | | | | irregular heartbeats who drank at least four cups |
| amount of coffee people drink. | | | | a day had an 18 percent less chance of ending up |
| A previous study in Denmark showed no | | | | in the hospital for heart rhythm issues. |
| difference in atrial fibrillation between people who | | | | Those who drank up to 3 cups a day saw a 7 |
| were heavy coffee drinkers with those who | | | | percent reduced risk. |
| were light drinkers. | | | | The study did not determine a reason as to why |
| But this study by Kaiser Permanente shows that | | | | drinking more coffee actually reduces this risk. |
| when looking at a large group of people, the | | | | A doctor who reviewed the findings for the |
| heavy coffee drinkers were least likely to end up | | | | WebMD website said the results seem to reflect |
| in the hospital from heart rhythm problems. | | | | what heart specialists have seen with their own |
| The results of the study seem to go against | | | | patients. |
| common advice for people who experience heart | | | | Sumeet S. Chugh, MD, associate director of the |
| palpitations. Usually doctors recommend patients | | | | Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los |
| such as this actually decrease their coffee intake | | | | Angeles told WebMD that the study reaffirms |
| because it is believed that the caffeine actually | | | | that doctors dont think coffee actually generates |
| increases the irregular heart rhythms. | | | | arrthymias (irregular heartbeat). |
| However, these data might be reassuring to | | | | However, he said, if you already have arrthymia, |
| people who drink moderate amounts of coffee | | | | the study doesnt show how coffee will affect |
| that their habit is not likely to cause a major | | | | you, so the best idea is to cut back on your |
| rhythm disturbance, said study researcher Arthur | | | | caffeine and see if it goes away. |