Daily Coffee Consumption Linked to Reduced AFib Recurrence in New Clinical Trial
A new clinical trial reveals that adults with atrial fibrillation who drank one cup of coffee daily were 39% less likely to experience recurrent AFib episodes, challenging conventional medical advice about caffeine avoidance for heart rhythm patients.
A new clinical trial presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025 suggests that daily coffee consumption may actually reduce the recurrence of atrial fibrillation in adults who have undergone treatment to restore normal heart rhythm. The Does Eliminating Coffee Avoid Fibrillation (DECAF) trial enrolled 200 adults diagnosed with AFib who typically drank about one cup of caffeinated coffee per day, with participants randomly assigned to either continue their coffee habit or avoid all caffeine for six months following cardioversion therapy.
During the six-month study period, researchers found that 47% of participants in the coffee group experienced recurrent AFib or atrial flutter episodes lasting more than 30 seconds, compared to 64% in the no-caffeine group. This represents a 39% lower risk of recurrence among coffee drinkers. The study was simultaneously published as a full manuscript in the peer-reviewed scientific journal JAMA, adding credibility to these preliminary findings that challenge long-standing beliefs about caffeine's effects on heart rhythm disorders.
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 trial was conducted at five healthcare centers in the United States, Australia and Canada, with participants enrolled between 2021 and 2024.
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 findings apply specifically to people who already consume about one cup of coffee daily and may not extend to those who drink larger quantities or consume other caffeinated beverages like energy drinks. The study's methodology included detailed phone interviews to track participants' caffeine consumption, and all AFib episodes were verified by healthcare professionals or medical-grade electrocardiogram devices.
The implications of this research are significant for the more than 6 million Americans affected by AFib, according to the American Heart Association's 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics. Marcus suggested that "it is reasonable for healthcare professionals to let their AFib patients consider experimenting with naturally caffeinated substances that they may enjoy, such as caffeinated tea and coffee." However, he emphasized that individual responses may vary, noting that "some people may still find that caffeine or caffeinated coffee triggers or worsens their AFib." The study's findings represent an important shift in understanding how common dietary habits might influence heart rhythm management.