by Carolyn Thomas ♥ Heart Sisters (on Blue Sky)
I love that first sip of the first cup of Americano every morning. In my kitchen, I have a vintage little Krups espresso machine that slowly builds up a thrilling WOOOSH of steam. That’s when I know that the magic is about to happen. The whole kitchen smells so wonderful! It’s my favourite part of waking up early. I have two cups of coffee every morning: the first right after I wake up while reading my Globe and Mail, and the second later on with breakfast.
And despite the decisions of some heart patients to quit drinking coffee after being diagnosed, newer coffee research does seem to side with my favourite morning brew.
For example, cardiac researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine explained:
“Although caffeine is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about coffee, coffee also contains antioxidants and other active substances that may reduce internal inflammation and protect against disease(1). Coffee may also help guard against conditions that are more common in women, including Alzheimer’s and heart disease.”
And an Australian study that tracked daily coffee consumption ranging from one to six cups over a 10-year period found that coffee drinking had either a neutral effect (meaning that it did no harm) or was associated with benefits to heart health.(2) The maximum benefit sweet spot was seen among people drinking 2-3 cups of coffee per day – with less benefit seen among those drinking more or less. Dr. Peter Kistler, who led this research, concluded:
“Because coffee can quicken heart rate, some people worry that drinking it could trigger or worsen certain heart issues. This is where general medical advice to heart patients to stop drinking coffee may come from. But our data suggest that daily coffee intake shouldn’t be discouraged, but rather included as a part of a healthy diet for people with and without heart disease.”
If you’re an older person living with a heart rhythm problem like atrial fibrillation or other arrhythmias, you may worry that the caffeine in coffee can worsen palpitations. But in a study of AFib patients over age 65 that was published last year, senior author Dr. Jürg Beer at the University of Zürich in Switzerland reported this:
“When we investigated the association in people with atrial fibrillation, our study found no reason to discourage or forbid a patient with AFib from drinking coffee. Instead, say: ‘Enjoy, it may even be good for you!’ “
He continued with a unique good-for-you benefit of coffee that I hadn’t yet heard about: (3)
“Atrial fibrillation is an independent risk factor for the development of cognitive impairments. Coffee consumption is associated with better cognitive performance in patients with atrial fibrillation.
But people living with AFib aren’t the only heart patients at risk of cognitive impairment. An official scientific statement called “Cardiac Contributions to Brain Health” about the latest research on the relationship between cardiovascular health and brain health was released by the American Heart Association last October, and published in the Association’s journal, Stroke.
It included the following warning:
“Three common cardiovascular diseases in adults – heart failure, atrial fibrillation and coronary heart disease – are linked to cognitive impairment and increased risk of dementia.”
As a person whose long-ago preeclampsia pregnancy complications likely caused the coronary artery disease that led to my “widow maker” heart attack, I know that one of the strongest risk factors for a future heart attack is having already had one.
And I’m also a person who has a family history of vascular dementia. I’m already noticing that I seem to be “losing my nouns” – e.g. whenever I say things out loud to my family like “Please pass . . . that thing you cut paper with…” Seriously. (Does this sound alarmingly familiar to anybody else out there?!?)
But here’s some basic wisdom based on Dr. Kistler’s work: every person is different, and every heart patient is different.
When my darling sister recently decided to cut way back on her morning coffee (replaced by jasmine tea) after decades of sharing countless cups of strong dark coffee at each others’ kitchen tables together, I have to say I was taken aback. “You’re not drinking coffee anymore? What do you mean, you’re not drinking coffee anymore?!”
Although 2-3 cups of coffee a day seemed to be the most favourable dose overall, Dr. Kistler reminds us that “people should not increase their coffee intake if it makes them feel anxious or uncomfortable.”
So if you know that a cup of hi-test at bedtime keeps you from getting a good night’s sleep, then stop doing that. Try drinking something else before bed. Maybe some nice jasmine tea.
Experts tell us that any caffeine during the 6 hours before bedtime can cause significant disruptive effects on sleep (unless you’re like our late Mum – who often fell fast asleep watching the late news on TV – with a half-empty cup of coffee still clutched in her hand).
There is some evidence suggesting that there may also be a link between coffee consumption and a temporary rise in blood pressure, so if you’re concerned about your blood pressure, try your own simple experiment using your home blood pressure cuff. About 30-45 minutes after drinking coffee (not decaf), track your blood pressure with your home blood pressure cuff for a few mornings. This short-term increase in BP can last for up to 4 hours. And of course, if you’re still in doubt, always consult your healthcare professional.
Finally, consider what academic researchers are now observing: “The thinking about coffee’s effects on the heart has swung in both directions,” explains Dr. J. Michael Gaziano, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.(4) He adds:
“In the 1960s, coffee was considered a risk factor for coronary artery disease, although later research suggested that only heavy coffee consumption (more than five or six cups a day) might harm the heart. On the other hand, caffeine’s adverse effects on sleep are also well known, and insufficient sleep is increasingly recognized as cardiac risk factor.”
So overall, this basically seems like promising news for us coffee-loving heart patients. But as in all other health decisions, you’re the one who knows your body. Dr. Gaziano concludes:
“Most people know how they react to coffee and will adjust their intake accordingly.”
I do know.
And one day, I just might need to adjust my intake accordingly – if and when I must.
But until that sad moment, I’ll keep filling that old Krups coffeemaker every evening after dinner so I can look forward to pushing its little red “on” button to start my first heavenly pour the next day – and happily anticipating that lovely WOOOSH of steam.
Meanwhile, wouldn’t it be wonderful if doing what we love doing each morning might actually be good for our precious hearts – while also helping us to ward off a future dementia diagnosis for as long as possible?
.
1. Kistler PM et al. “Cardiovascular Effects of Caffeinated Beverages.” Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine. 2019 Aug;29(6):345-350.
2. Mendoza MF et al. “Impact of Coffee Consumption on Cardiovascular Health”, Ochsner J. 2023 Summer;23 (2):152-158.
3. Jürg H. Beer et al. “Coffee Consumption Correlates With Better Cognitive Performance in Patients With a High Incidence for Stroke”. Journal of the American Heart Association. Volume 14, Number 1. 14 December 2024.
4. Julie Corliss. Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter, “Does Coffee Help or Harm your Heart?” August 1, 2023, Harvard Medical School.
♥
Coffee cup image: Keenyam at Pixabay
Q: How many cups of coffee is your ideal “morning dose”? Or have you, like my sister, discovered something new to pour into your cup?
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NOTE from CAROLYN: I wrote more about the long list of decisions heart patients must make in my book, “A Woman’s Guide to Living with Heart Disease”. You can ask for it at your local library or bookshop, or order it online (paperback, hardcover or e-book) at Amazon – or order it directly from my publisher, Johns Hopkins University Press (use their code HTWN to save 30% off the list price).
Heart Sisters 
How much did your eating habits change, Carolyn, after the heart attack?
I have a terrible time eating. Did see a nutritionalist? My heart artery was 70% blocked and had a stent put in July 2024. I have lost about 40 pounds so am near my correct weight now. I’m almost afraid of food.
Thank you for your book that reaches women to educate them. Thank you.
Virginia
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Hello Virginia – the biggest change in my post-heart attack diet was that I paid attention to eating more veggies (I grew up in a big meat-eating family where we considered pickles to be a vegetable course, for example) plus way less salty foods (that’s when I discovered Mrs. Dash mixed no-salt spice mixes that are delicious!
I didn’t see a professional dietitian in person, but I discovered an amazing heart-healthy cookbook written by registered dietitian Cheryl Strachan called The 30-Minute Heart Healthy Cookbook.
Cheryl’s career has focused on heart patients, cardiac rehabilitation programs and great tasting healthy food. Her website called Sweet Spot Nutrition is a goldmine of simple suggestions to fight off that “fear of food” you mention. Food is not your enemy!
Cheryl has a unique perspective on weight loss in heart patients: “What you eat can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol even if the scale doesn’t cooperate. We can even address diabetes without making weight loss a central focus.”
Cheryl also offers a free e-book you can download and really interesting free weekly newsletters, too. Check out her website and see what you think!
Take care. . . ❤️
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Hi Carolyn,
I’m not sure if I could give up my morning coffee even if I were told I must or should, as it’s such a habit that I enjoy. There’s nothing quite like the aroma and the satisfaction of that first sip early in the morning. The funny thing is, I never finish a cup. It always gets cold on me, and I don’t like the taste of coffee unless it’s hot. My husband finds this very annoying.
Your comment about your mom falling asleep with a cup of coffee in hand made me chuckle and think about my grandparents’ coffee drinking. They drank it all day long, including in the evening. I have no idea if they ever had trouble sleeping.
I’m glad neither of us has to give up our coffee. I don’t think it’s been linked to increasing cancer risk either. Thank goodness. The possibility that it might actually be good for us makes drinking it even more enjoyable. It’d be nice if we could get together and enjoy a cup! I’ll think of you when I have my next cup!
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Hello Nancy – It sure WOULD be nice if we could meet one day in person (with or without the coffee – but preferably WITH!) I’ve been following your writing for many years and often feel like you’re speaking directly to me!
I no longer travel, so you’d have to trek up here to the beautiful west coast of Canada some fine day for that coffee. I agree, by the way – it’s so rare these days to learn that something we love as much as our morning coffee (or partial cups of hot coffee, in your case!) turns out to be good for us after all! I’ll think of you too tomorrow morning with my first cup!
Take care. . . ❤️
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Hi Carolyn, I didn’t drink coffee much at all when I was younger and couldn’t stand the smell of it first thing in the morning – although in my earlier working days it was always my job to make the coffee!
Now, I drink 1 cup at 2 pm every day – except today when I went out to lunch with someone and drank 3 cups! I may have a bit of afib later on….
And yes, the “thingy” reminded me of being at the hairdresser’s last week and neither the stylist nor I could remember the phrase “high beams” (car) and ended up laughing!
My grandmother always called anything she couldn’t remember a “whatchamacallit” which has stuck in our family.
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Hello Sue – I was thinking while reading your comment about how ironic it was that the person responsible for making your early morning workplace coffee “couldn’t stand the smell!” Torture!!! 😉
I can just picture you and your hairdresser both getting stuck on “high beams”. So funny. . . In our family, we would just switch immediately to translating that to something like “the thingy that makes your car headlights go brighter. . . ” And oh yes – ““whatchamacallit” = very handy, right up there with “Whats-His-Name’….
If we didn’t laugh, we’d cry. . .
Take care. . . ❤️
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Hello Carolyn, I am an older person, turning 65 in a couple of weeks, living with a heart rhythm problem, atrial fibrillation, and recently working with a cardiologist who specializes in women’s health. Yes, I do worry that the caffeine in coffee can worsen my wild palpitations. Though the Cardiologist said nothing about caffeine consumption.
“Please pass . . . that thing you cut paper with…” Yes Carolyn, this sounds familiar to me! My mother, in her later years, out of nowhere started calling every object that she could not remember a “Thingy”. I found it strange, but had not yet come to that understanding of early dementia. She passed away a couple of years ago from complications of stroke and dementia.
Q: How many cups of coffee is your ideal “morning dose”? Or have you, like my sister, discovered something new to pour into your cup?
I don’t want to deprive myself of morning coffee. The past couple of months I’ve been experimenting and settled on mixing into an old Folgers canister a pack of Starbucks Decaf Pikes Peak and a pack of Starbucks Veranda Blend making a light version of half-caffeine.
My last bloodwork indicated Vitamin D deficiency. I didn’t want to take another pill. So my primary doctor agreed that I could use the sun UV rays for 15 minutes midday in addition to food. I switched flavored coffee creamer which has no nutritional value to low fat milk for Vitamin D. And substituted sugar or pure maple syrup to give a little sweetness.
I drink 2-3 measuring cups (not mugs) of my specialty every morning before noon. After noon, I have no caffeine at all because I do appreciate my long hours of sleep at night.
I do struggle with remembering my words as I speak and just stop word flow. But I hope that I will not resort to replacing words with “Thingy”. Then I will know I’m heading into troubled territory!
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Hello Teri – I had to laugh out loud at your late mother’s use of the word “thingy”.
I used to be freaked out when I heard myself using that as a substitute for the word I was actually searching for, but now I believe that it’s a perfect all-purpose word for just about anything whose real name I have truly forgotten!! I now like to think of “thingy” as a faster way to finish a sentence rather than saying “Please pass . . . that thing you cut paper with…”
All of my girlfriends (about the same age) seem to appreciate the usefulness of “thingy” sometimes, too! And we’re all pretty good at trying to guess what “thingy” might mean when we say that word to each other! Spoon? Keys? Hat? Apple?
I read recently that when we worry about “losing our nouns” or forgetting where we left our ______ (fill in the blank – this seems to be a full-time occupation for me!) we actually make it worse than if we just try to laugh it off. So I’m practicing laughing it off. . .
My girlfriends and I like to think that we’re putting our few remaining brain cells to work by this guessing game, and when we guess right, we feel positively brilliant! 🙂
I really like the way you’ve created your own thoughtful recipe for the coffee experiment that will work best for you – and even subsituting creamer and sugar for other healthier options. Every bit helps – and you still get to enjoy your 2-3 measuring cups every morning.
Thanks also for mentioning 15 minutes of sun to help our Vitamin D levels – especially in winter months. Right now, we’ve had four days of non-stop sunshine and blue skies where I live, so I’ve been enjoying that bonus dose of Vitamin D.
Take care. . . ❤️
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You too! And your girlfriends!! You have me giggling. It sounds to me like you all are playing the game of charades!!! 🤭
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Ha!!! You’re right! It does resemble Charades: “Sounds like…” and “two syllables”…!
Often, we can’t remember a specific word or a person’s name, but one of us will recall that it starts with the letter ‘B” (or – it has the letter “B” somewhere in it… or maybe there’s no “B” at all. . .” So helpful!! 😉
The other day, my walking group was talking about the Academy Awards coming up while we were out together, specifically about the nominated movies we’d already seen. It was hilarious. The conversation was about an actor whose name none of us could remember, but he was definitely “the guy who was in that other movie, the one where he played a lawyer – or maybe a chef – who had been murdered or blackmailed or ….” We could do this all day long… 🙂
We figure if we don’t laugh, we’ll cry. . . ❤️
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hilarious ❤️🍎
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🙂
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I am drinking my morning coffee as I read your post.….1 large 12 Oz mug each morning with soy creamer is my go to.
On occasion I will have a second cup in the afternoon for a pick me up. But never after 3:00pm and never 2 cups in a row.
I’ve tried and learned my lesson. I have a brother with ADHD who started drinking coffee at 8 yrs old as a self medication. As an adult, he drinks cold brew coffee all day long!
Knowing your own body is key.
Blessings.
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Good morning Jill – Does your brother ever sleep at night after all those cold brew coffees?!? Isn’t it interesting that a stimulant like coffee is self-medication for ADHD?
Thanks for reminding me about those afternoon pick-me-up caffeine hits. Before I retired from my public relations career, afternoon coffee was a very common daily practice. My old PR colleagues and I managed to survive workplace/ press conference/ speaking / writing /deadline stress in this exact way! It’s a miracle I was ever able to get to sleep at night after all that – although I suspect I was so exhausted by running around all day with my hair on fire that it clearly wasn’t an issue. . .
Not needing that medicinal afternoon coffee break = one more thing I really love about retirement. . .
Take care. . . ❤️
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