Daily Coffee Consumption May Reduce Atrial Fibrillation Recurrence in Some Patients, Study Finds

A new clinical trial presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025 suggests that daily coffee consumption may significantly reduce the recurrence of atrial fibrillation in some adults, challenging long-held beliefs about caffeine's effects on heart rhythm disorders. The study found that AFib patients who drank at least one cup of caffeinated coffee daily were 39% less likely to experience recurrent irregular heart rhythm episodes compared to those who completely avoided caffeine.

The Does Eliminating Coffee Avoid Fibrillation (DECAF) trial enrolled 200 adults with AFib who typically consumed about one cup of coffee per day. All participants had recently undergone cardioversion therapy to restore normal heart rhythm and were randomly assigned to either continue their coffee habit or avoid all caffeine for six months. The results showed that only 47% of coffee drinkers experienced recurrent AFib or atrial flutter episodes lasting more than 30 seconds, compared to 64% of those in the no-caffeine group.

Study lead author Christopher X. Wong, formerly of the University of California, San Francisco and currently professor of cardiology at the University of Adelaide in Australia, explained the study's purpose: "We conducted this study to assess whether caffeinated coffee increased or decreased the risk of AFib. Participants were randomly assigned to continue drinking at least one cup of caffeinated coffee daily or to avoid any caffeine for 6 months." The findings were simultaneously published in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA.

Senior study author Gregory M. Marcus, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, noted that "our study results suggest that caffeinated coffee may not be responsible for raising the risk of AFib and may even reduce it." However, researchers caution that the results apply specifically to people who already consume about one cup of coffee daily and may not extend to heavier coffee drinkers or those consuming other caffeinated beverages like energy drinks.

The study's implications are significant given that atrial fibrillation currently affects more than 6 million people in the United States and can lead to serious complications including stroke, heart failure, and blood clots, according to the American Heart Association's 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics. The condition represents a substantial public health burden, and any intervention that could reduce recurrence rates could have meaningful impact on patient outcomes and healthcare costs.

Marcus suggested that "it is reasonable for health care professionals to let their AFib patients consider experimenting with naturally caffeinated substances that they may enjoy, such as caffeinated tea and coffee. However, some people may still find that caffeine or caffeinated coffee triggers or worsens their AFib." This personalized approach acknowledges that individual responses to caffeine may vary, even as the overall study results challenge blanket recommendations to avoid caffeine.

The research was conducted at five healthcare centers in the United States, Australia, and Canada with participants enrolled between 2021 and 2024. All recurrent AFib episodes were verified by healthcare professionals or through medical-grade electrocardiogram devices and recorded in participants' medical records. The study population had an average age of 69 years, with 71% men and 80% self-identified as white adults.

While these findings represent an important shift in understanding caffeine's effects on heart rhythm disorders, researchers note that future studies should investigate whether starting coffee consumption for the first time provides similar benefits. The study's limitations include its focus on moderate coffee drinkers and reliance on self-reported consumption data, though researchers conducted three detailed phone interviews with participants to verify adherence to their assigned groups.