One cup a day keeps the Doctor away?
I have recently came across a negative PR about drinking coffee and heart disease on one of the mainstream medias. They mentioned coffee increased the risk of atrial fibrillation. But is there any evidence for that?
There is evidence but it is to the contrary. Most clinical trials showed that taking one cup of coffee in the morning is either neutral or has benefit in reducing atrial fibrillation. But taking coffee late during the day may have detrimental effect.
The reason is coffee obviously disrupts normal sleep pattern. And disruption of sleep has shown to increase the risk of atrial fibrillation and even overall cardiovascular risk like stroke, ischemic heart disease, and heart failure.
Unless you have comorbidites like uncontrolled hypertension or tachyarrhythmias which have to be addressed first, it is safe to say having one cup of coffee (which is similar to about 3 Arabian coffee cups in Ethiopia, or upto bereka 😊) in the morning is safe.
On top of that, there is a well documented observation that coffee reduces incidence of liver cancer. So the message is ... enjoy your coffee.
References
1. Wong CX, Cheung CC, Montenegro G, et al. Caffeinated coffee consumption or abstinence to reduce atrial fibrillation: the DECAF randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2025;e2521056. doi:10.1001/jama.2025
2. Gardiner C, Weakley J, Burke LM, et al. The effect of caffeine on subsequent sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med Rev. 2023;69:101764. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2023
3. Burke TM, Markwald RR, McHill AW, et al. Effects of caffeine on the human circadian clock in vivo and in vitro. Sci Transl Med. 2015;7(305):305ra146. doi:10.1126
Dr. Mohamed Abdulkadir: Internist, Cardiologist
@HakimEthio
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2August 31, 2026 3.8K 24
