WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, found that daily consumption of multiple cups of coffee might prevent cognitive decline in people with atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm disorder in adults.
'Many myths are around, but our study found no reason to discourage or forbid a patient with AFib from drinking coffee. Instead, say, 'Enjoy, it may even be good for you!' said senior author Jurg Beer, professor of medicine and hematology at the University of Zurich in Switzerland.
The study involved 2,400 people, enrolled between 2014 and 2017, in Switzerland diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. The participants answered questions regarding how many cups of caffeinated coffee they drank during the past one year, and completed cognitive assessments.
'There was a very clear and consistent 'dose-response' association between drinking more coffee and doing better on several different sophisticated cognitive tests,' Beer continued.
'Inflammatory markers decreased with higher coffee consumption, an association that remained after considering variables such as age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, physical activity and a history of stroke.'
The research team noted higher cognitive test scores in people who consumed high amounts of coffee. Scores for processing speed, visuomotor coordination and attention increased by 11 percent among coffee consumers compared to non-consumers.
'Other studies have shown coffee has cognitive-enhancing functions across the board. This, however, is not specific to the AFib population. We cannot conclude that coffee prevents long-term cognitive decline,' cautioned Jose Joglar, professor of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
'Coffee does not seem to worsen AFib so there is no need to stop drinking it. However, we cannot say starting to drink coffee would prevent AFib or prevent long-term cognitive decline.'
The researchers agreed that a follow-up of at least 5-10 years is required to determine a relevant cognitive decline in the participants.
Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2024 AFX News
