Coffee Linked to Higher Cognitive Performance in Seniors With A-Fib

THURSDAY, Dec. 26, 2024 (HealthDay News) — For elderly patients with atrial fibrillation, regular coffee consumption is associated with higher cognitive performance, according to a study published online Dec. 14 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Massimo Barbagallo, M.D., from the University Hospital Zurich, and colleagues examined whether regular coffee consumption reduces cognitive decline in elderly adults with atrial fibrillation. A structured nutrition questionnaire was used to assess daily coffee consumption, and cognitive function was assessed using a detailed neurocognitive test battery, which combined several neurocognitive tests and provided an overall cognitive performance indicator.

The researchers found that the cognitive construct scores were −0.24 and −0.10 for those who consumed less than one cup/day (reference group) and the highest consumption group (more than five cups/day), respectively. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment score was 24.58 in the reference group and 25.25 in the group with the highest intake. A decline in inflammatory markers was seen with higher coffee consumption (nonsignificant for high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and significant for interleukin-6).

“Further studies are required to confirm an optimal exposure of three to five cups daily in this elderly population with AF [atrial fibrillation]. Coffee consumption in elderly patients with AF should not be discouraged,” the authors write.

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