By Karen Kier
Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU HealthWise team

In 2008, Landon Pigg released his indie-pop song titled Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop. Although not a top 10 bestseller, his song has been featured in television commercials such as De Beers diamonds and AT&T telephones. The song made it to number 13 on the Adult Contemporary chart in the United States. 

Perfect timing to talk about coffee shops and your heart close to Valentine’s Day.

We often advise individuals with heart conditions like atrial fibrillation to stay away from coffee and caffeine. As science continues to evolve, new research may prove this wrong. 

Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart arrhythmia, which is caused by extra electrical impulses in the atrial chambers of the heart. These extra beats are often chaotic and irregular, and cause the heart rate to increase.  For some, the heart can start to beat over 150-180 beats per minute. This causes the atrial chambers to quiver rather than have a normal, steady contraction of pushing blood to the ventricles. 

This quivering can result in blood clots forming around the valves of the heart due to blood not being adequately pumped out of the atrium. The increase risk of blood clots increases the risk of having a stroke. The risk of stroke is 5 times higher in those with atrial fibrillation.

This is why celebrities have been doing commercials to educate about atrial fibrillation. The great basketball player, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, has promoted the “No Time to Wait” campaign and comedian/TV host, Howie Mandel, has helped with the “Fibs and Facts” education. Even singer Barry Manilow promoted the “Get Back in Rhythm” campaign in 2011. 

It is estimated that 12.1 million Americans have atrial fibrillation and many famous individuals are in this group, including George H.W. Bush, Larry Bird, Joe Biden, Jerry West, Billie Jean King and Elton John. 

The emphasis of the education is to seek medical help if you feel or notice a rapid heart rate or you have symptoms such as shortness of breath, lightheadedness, dizziness, chest pain, weakness or feeling tired.  Some individuals have no symptoms at all and the atrial fibrillation is caught during a routine heart and rhythm check. 

Caffeine can make the heart race, and so we have typically advised against caffeine products in individuals with atrial fibrillation. Caffeine can cause the jitters, sleeplessness and rapid heart rate. 

Caffeine is a natural stimulant of the brain and central nervous system. It helps to improve alertness and focus while reducing fatigue. Caffeine is in the class of chemicals known as methylxanthines and this includes theobromine found in chocolate and theophylline found in trace amounts in tea and used to treat asthma. 

Caffeine has been approved by the FDA in an intravenous (IV) formulation given to premature infants to help them breath better. Caffeine can be found in combination with analgesics such as aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol), and ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) for managing migraines and tension headaches.  Studies have shown caffeine synergistically improves the pain-relieving properties of these drugs. For example, Excedrin Migraine contains 250mg of aspirin, 250mg of acetaminophen and 65mg of caffeine in one tablet. 

An 8-ounce cup of coffee contains between 75-165mg of caffeine, depending on how it is brewed. Black tea contains about 45-50mg of caffeine compared to green tea of 25mg in a cup. Sodas or pop range at 40-55mg. Chocolate milk provides about 5-6mg, while 1 ounce of a dark chocolate candy bar provides 20-24mg. 

When you read labels of supplements, nonprescription products, and food sources, look for some hidden caffeine in products like guarana, kola nut, yerba mate, green coffee bean extract, kombucha, and matcha. 

What has changed?

On January 27, 2026, the Journal of the America Medical Association (JAMA) published the DECAF study. The study enrolled 200 participants with atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. The individuals went through an electrical cardioversion to the heart to try to get the heart back to a normal rhythm.  Those who returned to normal heart rhythm were than randomized to either coffee consumption at an average of 1 cup of coffee a day or to no caffeine at all for 6 months. Twenty-five percent of the individuals screened refused to participate in the study because they could not give up coffee or caffeine! 

Of the 200 who agreed to participate, the 100 coffee drinkers had a much lower rate of atrial fibrillation recurrence than the 100 who abstained from coffee. The recurrence rate in the coffee group was 47% compared to 64% in the caffeine-free group. 

This new science may help atrial fibrillation patients fall in love with coffee again!