Researchers from the University Hospital of Zurich have found that coffee helps preserve cognitive abilities in patients with atrial fibrillation or atrial fibrillation. The results of the study are published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (JHA).Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm disorder, affecting more than five million people in the United States. In the new 2023 guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of this arrhythmia, the American Heart Association stated that avoiding caffeine does not help prevent heart rhythm disorders in patients with atrial fibrillation, although caffeine may worsen symptoms of the disease in some patients.Massimo Barbagallo, lead author of the study and associate professor at the University Hospital of Zurich, said atrial fibrillation is associated with an increased risk of dementia. Coffee may have a compensatory effect, improving cognitive performance.A study of more than 2,400 people diagnosed with atrial fibrillation found that coffee consumption was associated with better cognitive test scores. Participants who drank more coffee showed better results in information processing speed, hand-eye coordination, and attention. The cognitive age of volunteers who consumed more coffee was 6.7 years less than those who drank the least.In addition, those who drank five cups of coffee a day had 20% lower levels of inflammation in the body compared to those who drank less than one cup.These results open new perspectives for the use of coffee as a means to support cognitive function in people with atrial fibrillation, despite the traditional view that it is harmful to the cardiovascular system.
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