Caffeine and Cardiovascular Disease: AHA Scientific Statement

> Randomized controlled trial data among regular caffeinated coffee drinkers showed that caffeinated coffee decreases the risk of atrial fibrillation occurrence but increases the frequency of premature ventricular contractionsThat is interesting because caffeine as low as ~80mg is one of my triggers for AFIB and arrhythmia and absolutely wrecks me within 15 minutes of consumption. I was not a regular coffee drinker though, so maybe the "regular drinkers" bit in that statement is the significant factor here.

It appears this study does not conclude whether abstainers should pick up caffeine.Under "Conclusions and Research Needs":> Last, in terms of applications of the potential beneficial effects of coffee intake, it is worth studying whether introducing or initiating regular coffee consumption among current abstainers yields positive cardiovascular health benefits.In other words, more study is needed to determine whether abstainers should start consuming caffeine.Additionally, the study suggests much of the cardiovascular benefits are from non-caffeine compounds in coffee/tea:> Although much of the evidence on caffeine derives from studies of coffee consumption, coffee contains numerous bioactive compounds beyond caffeine, including chlorogenic acids, diterpenes, trigonelline, and melanoidins. In large cohort studies, inverse associations between coffee intake and risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease have also been observed for decaffeinated coffee, supporting a role for noncaffeine components.

Concluded is "...dose-response and thresholds in individuals with hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. Because there is already substantial evidence of heterogeneous effects within individuals...". Sensitivity to caffeine is one of the most accurate and valuable results you can get from a DNA test. We all know people that drink it all day and sleep all night, and the reverse.

This statement is particularly interesting as it goes against the common sense, and the common suggestion that some (most?) cardiologists and doctors give to cardiac patients (lower / no caffeine).However, some arrhythmologists and electrophysiologists sing a different tune. When I was diagnosed with something complex and novel that results in ventricular arrhythmia (PVCs and VT), my EP was, to put it mildly, uninterested in my consumption of caffeine. He said that, at worst, it made no significant difference. That was a few years ago. I was pleasantly surprised.

AHA as in American Heart Association. Not "Aha! Journals" (which would be a rather corny name for a scientific publisher)

Can't really trust the AHA whose guidelines promoted ultra-processed sugar-filled food.

AHA release: https://newsroom.heart.org/news/coffee-and-heart-health-how-...

Unrelated: The document viewer on this website has a semitransparent gradient at the top, which shows a pretty strong horizontal Mach band [1] at its bottom. Any ideas how to avoid these in CSS?1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mach_bands