Drinking coffee may reduce risk of irregular heartbeat/heart disease

Most people will admit that they cannot fully engage in their day without a nice cup of coffee.  This is further supported by the fact that coffee shops are on every corner and open early and close late.  It is also true that coffee, and more importantly, caffeine, may lead to some bad side effects, such as dehydration, indigestion, and even the dreaded coffee breath.  The good news, however, is that it may just be good for your heart…

Fox News reports that researchers in a Kaiser Permanente study found that people who drank coffee more on a regular basis decreased their risk of developing a dangerous irregular heartbeat.  The researchers examined the daily habits of 130,054 adults who consumed four or more cups of coffee a day.  When compared with those who did not drink coffee, the coffee drinkers reduced their risk of being hospitalized for irregular heartbeats by approximately eighteen percent.  If four cups of coffee a day seems a little too much for your taste, there is still good news for people who drink coffee, but a smaller amount.  Specifically, researchers discovered that people who consumed one to three cups of coffee per day reduced their chances of developing irregular heartbeats by seven percent.  With the constant barrage in the media about the ill effects of our favorite substances – such as sugar, fat, and caffeine – it is nice to know that at least one may not be as bad as we previously believed.

Irregular heartbeats are a common form of heart disease, and according to Fox News, the condition affects about 2.7 million people in the United States alone.  It is marked by people experiencing fast, irregular heartbeats at any given time.  The concern with coffee is that it tends to speed up the heartbeat when it is consumed.  This study, while not proving that coffee has a protective effect on the heart, does indicate that people who drink it are not doing harm to their hearts.  Certainly this study will lead to further research on the topic, and hopefully, a protective link will be discovered.  Many people suffering with heart disease are required to give up many of the things that they once enjoyed, including certain foods, activities, and possibly even a job, depending on the severity of the condition (this is the point at which people will typically apply for Social Security Disability benefits based on heart disease).  Armed with this study, however, they can still enjoy their morning, afternoon, and evening cup of coffee without worry.