Many people find it impossible to begin their day without having a cup or two of coffee. Despite its widespread appeal, coffee’s effects on heart health have generated some controversy. “The thinking regarding coffee’s effects on the heart has swung in both directions,” says Harvard Medical School professor of medicine Dr. J. Michael Gaziano.
Coffee was thought to be a risk factor for coronary artery disease in the 1960s, but subsequent studies revealed that the heart could only be harmed by high coffee use (more than five or six cups per day). However, Dr. Gaziano points out that excessive coffee drinkers frequently differ from moderate coffee drinkers in a number of different ways.
A shock of Java?
People have long worried if drinking coffee could “jazz up” the heart, causing palpitations (the strange sensation of a skipped, missed, or strong heartbeat) or atrial fibrillation (a heart rhythm issue indicated by a rapid, irregular heartbeat) because coffee contains the stimulant caffeine.