Coffee intake linked to 7–11% lower atrial fibrillation risk in 495,269 UK Biobank adults

Researchers from Zhengzhou University, its First Affiliated Hospital and Peking University in China examined how coffee and tea intake relates to atrial fibrillation (AF) in 495,269 UK Biobank participants, according to news-medical.net. The work by Liang, Zhang, Bo and Guo appeared in Food & Nutrition Research in 2026. Over a median follow-up of 13 years, 37,261 people developed AF. news-medical.netnews-medical.netnews-medical.netOpen source ↗

AF is the most common arrhythmia and affects about 33 million people worldwide. Earlier meta-analyses gave inconsistent results: some found a lower AF risk with moderate coffee intake, others a higher risk or no association.

Cohort and methods

Participants with AF at baseline and those without data on tea and coffee intake were excluded. The average age was 57 years, 54.6% were female and 94.4% were White. Intake, including decaffeinated coffee and black and green tea, was reported in a baseline touchscreen questionnaire and grouped into four categories: none, 0.5–1, 2–3 and at least 4 cups per day.

Incident AF was identified from self-reports, hospital and primary care data, or death records. The analyses accounted for sex, age, ethnicity, physical activity, education, smoking, alcohol intake, BMI, income and the Townsend Deprivation Index. Sensitivity analyses excluded people with existing cardiovascular disease, early AF diagnoses or missing covariates, and additional models accounted for hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea, coronary artery disease and relevant medications. news-medical.netnews-medical.netnews-medical.netOpen source ↗

About 22% of participants did not drink coffee and 31% drank 2–3 cups daily. About 15% did not drink tea, while 44% drank at least four cups daily.

Results and limitations

After adjustment, coffee drinkers had an estimated AF risk 7% to 11% lower than non-consumers, with the largest difference at 2–3 cups per day. For tea, 2–3 cups per day were associated with a 5% lower risk; estimates at other intake levels were smaller, and the authors advised caution in interpreting them. Risk did not fall steadily with higher intake: for both beverages the estimates were lowest at 2–3 cups daily.

The associations did not differ significantly by age, sex, smoking status or BMI. In sensitivity analyses, the coffee associations weakened at 0.5–1 and at least 4 cups per day after people with existing cardiovascular disease were excluded. news-medical.netnews-medical.netnews-medical.netOpen source ↗

Because the study is observational, it cannot show that coffee or tea prevents AF. The authors list self-reported intake, assessment only at baseline, no caffeine quantification and possible residual confounding as limitations. Coffee and tea were modeled separately, cup size and preparation were not standardized, and decaffeinated coffee was included, so the results cannot be attributed to caffeine. The authors call for validation in diverse populations and for work on mechanisms.