Some caffeine better than none after AF cardioversion

In this study of 200 patients with recurrent AF, patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either regular caffeinated coffee consumption or complete abstinence from coffee and caffeine for 6 months¹.

The consumption group was encouraged to drink at least one cup daily, while the abstinence group avoided all caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee and other caffeine products.

Baseline intake was 7 cups per week in both groups.

During follow-up, the median intake was 7 (IQR, 6-11) cups per week in the consumption group and 0 (IQR, 0-2) in the abstinence group, resulting in a between-group difference of 7 cups (95% CI, 7-7).

In the primary analysis, AF or flutter recurrence occurred in 47% of the coffee group versus 64% of the abstinence group, with a 17% absolute difference NNT= 6 (HR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.42–0.89; P = .01.

Reference:

Caffeinated Coffee Consumption or Abstinence to Reduce Atrial Fibrillation: The DECAF Randomized Clinical Trial JAMA.(2025)

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