(Mirror Daily, United States) – Coffee lovers may rejoice, as coffee does not result in increased heart rate in spite of previous studies claiming to the contrary. It seems that the overall conclusion on caffeine is that it’s good for your heart health. This arrives with numerous other benefits, besides the extra jolt of energy in the morning.
Researchers at the University of California-San Francisco (UCSF) conducted a study on 1,388 participants at the average age of 72 years old. Among them, 61% had more than just one caffeinated product daily, be it coffee, tea, or chocolate. The aim of the research was to assess the effects of caffeine on the number of heartbeats, or lack thereof.
According to the researchers, given that previous studies have shown that extra heartbeats are dangerous for the patient’s life and health, this was especially relevant to uncover. Specifically, they looked at the occurrences of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) in the lower chambers of the heart, and the premature atrial contractions (PACs) in the heart’s upper chambers. Both conditions have been associated with several health risks.
PVCs were linked with increased risk of heart failure, coronary artery disease, and death, while PACs were associated with atrial fibrillation, stroke, and death. Previous studies have linked both of them with coffee consumption. However, the researchers from UCSF could not find a connection between them.
In their findings, they did not discover any sort of cardiovascular abnormalities no matter the level of caffeine consumed. Drinking coffee frequently was also not associated with extra heartbeats. In fact, according to researcher Dr. Gregory Marcus, there was virtually no difference that would point at irregularities due to coffee consumption.
In fact, habitual coffee drinkers have lower rates of coronary artery disease and cardiovascular mortality. This adds to the list of several other benefits, including decreased risk of developing diabetes, obesity, or depression. That regular cup of Joe that most us drink in the morning actually has far more perks than drawbacks where our health is concerned.
And it’s a good thing too. According to the researchers, coffee is one of the most commonly consumed products in the United States. It’s the main source of caffeine for adults. Thus, Dr. Marcus stated that clinical recommendations against regular consumption of coffee should be altered. Otherwise, they could arrive at the detriment of the patient’s health and cause disturbances.
However, they also underlined that their study did not include people with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions. Thus, those who already suffer from problems with heart rhythm irregularities, such as extra heart beats, should abstain from consuming caffeine. Products like coffee, tea, alcohol, and nicotine should not be part of their daily life.
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