How Caffeine Can Lead to Palpitations: Ayim Djamson, M.D.: Cardiology

How Caffeine Can Lead to Palpitations: Ayim Djamson, M.D.: Cardiology

Caffeine is an incredibly popular stimulant. More than 85% of the United States population consumes at least one caffeinated beverage each day, and 96% of that consumption comes from coffee, tea, and soft drinks.

If you enjoy caffeinated beverages but have noticed heart palpitations, you may wonder whether your daily cup of joe is to blame.

Rely on board-certified cardiovascular physician Ayim Djamson, MD, and his team at Metropolitan Cardiovascular Consultants to help you keep your heart as healthy and as strong as possible. Heart palpitations, though brief and short-lived, shouldn’t be ignored, as they could signal an underlying issue with your heart.

Visit us if you suspect that lifestyle habits such as drinking caffeine are causing your heart symptoms. Dr. Djamson performs a comprehensive evaluation to check your heart health. Here we discuss caffeine, how it can lead to heart palpitations, and what you can do about it. 

What are heart palpitations?

Most of the time, you’re likely unaware of the beating or rhythm of your heart. A normal resting heart rate is 60 to 100 beats-per-minute, and the heart has a characteristic rhythm when it beats. Unless your heart is beating fast or hard, you likely won’t notice it beating.

Heart palpitations are the feeling that your heart is beating irregularly. It may feel like it’s pounding, beating too fast, or fluttering. Common causes of heart palpitations include:

• Stress
• Exercise
• Certain medications

Stimulants, including caffeine, are known to affect heart rate, but just how does caffeine affect the heart?

Caffeine and your heart

Caffeine is one of the most researched dietary components, and we know a lot about how it affects the body. However, research examining caffeine’s link to heart palpitations has been conflicting, with some studies showing a connection and others not.

This is because in healthy people, caffeine does not appear to cause heart palpitations. However, some people may be more sensitive to the effects of caffeine and may experience heart symptoms such as palpitations.

 Caffeine affects the heart in multiple ways. Firstly, it promotes the release of noradrenaline and norepinephrine. Among other things, these hormones increase heart rate and blood pressure. Additionally, caffeine can act on enzymes that stimulate heart contractions, causing the heart to contract with more force.

Is caffeine causing my heart palpitations?

 For years researchers believed caffeine’s stimulant effects on the heart were responsible for heart palpitations. Recent research suggests this isn’t necessarily the case. That doesn’t mean caffeine isn’t causing your heart symptoms, and it doesn’t vindicate caffeine completely. 

The body adapts to the effects of caffeine. Therefore, healthy people who regularly drink coffee are unlikely to experience symptoms such as heart palpitations. Caffeine can cause heart palpitations in people with a sensitivity to caffeine and those with an underlying heart condition.

If you’re new to caffeine consumption or drink excess amounts, you’re more likely to experience heart symptoms. The only way to know for sure is to visit a heart specialist for a checkup.

Importance of a heart health check

If you’re having heart symptoms, it’s crucial to get a medical evaluation. Various heart conditions can cause heart palpitations, including:

• Atrial fibrillation
• Mitral valve prolapse
• Heart failure
• Congenital heart disease
• Cardiomyopathy
• Atrial flutter

Some of these conditions can be serious and require treatment. 

Make heart health your top priority. To get started, contact us to schedule a visit with Dr. Djamson. We have three offices in Beltsville, Bowie, and Columbia, Maryland. You can also send a message to Dr. Djamson and his team via our website.

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Serious Problems That Hypertension Can Cause

A heart health checkup can put you on the right track toward better overall health, especially by checking for often-undiagnosed high blood pressure. Controlling high blood pressure is one of the most serious components of keeping you healthy.

Using Vestibular Stimulation to Treat Vertigo

Loss of balance is the most well-known symptom of vertigo, and it can be a major disruption to your daily life, getting in the way of your productivity and well-being. Vestibular stimulation is therapy that works with your brain to reduce symptoms.

Are Palpitations Serious?

Everyone should be concerned about their heart health. That includes not ignoring episodes of palpitations. Prompt diagnosis and treatment helps to avoid complications and protect your heart health.

What’s Good Cholesterol?

Everyone should be concerned about their heart health. After all, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Understanding and monitoring your cholesterol is one aspect of taking care of your heart.

9 Side Effects of Too Much Caffeine

Coffee and tea are incredibly healthy beverages.

Most types contain caffeine, a substance that may boost your mood, metabolism and mental and physical performance (1, 2, 3).

Studies have also shown that it’s safe for most people when consumed in low-to-moderate amounts (4).

However, high doses of caffeine may have unpleasant and even dangerous side effects.

Research has shown that your genes have a major influence on your tolerance to it. Some can consume much more caffeine than others without experiencing negative effects (5, 6).

What’s more, individuals who aren’t used to caffeine may experience symptoms after consuming what is typically considered a moderate dose (4, 7).

Here are 9 side effects of too much caffeine.

1. Anxiety

Caffeine is known to increase alertness.

It works by blocking the effects of adenosine, a brain chemical that makes you feel tired. At the same time, it triggers the release of adrenaline, the “fight-or-flight” hormone associated with increased energy (8).

However, at higher doses, these effects may become more pronounced, leading to anxiety and nervousness.

In fact, caffeine-induced anxiety disorder is one of four caffeine-related syndromes listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which is published by the American Psychiatric Association.

Extremely high daily intakes of 1,000 mg or more per day have been reported to cause nervousness, jitteriness and similar symptoms in most people, whereas even a moderate intake may lead to similar effects in caffeine-sensitive individuals (9, 10).

Additionally, modest doses have been shown to cause rapid breathing and increase stress levels when consumed in one sitting (11, 12).

One study in 25 healthy men found that those who ingested approximately 300 mg of caffeine experienced more than double the stress of those who took a placebo.

Interestingly, stress levels were similar between regular and less frequent caffeine consumers, suggesting the compound may have the same effect on stress levels regardless of whether you drink it habitually (12).

Nevertheless, these results are preliminary.

Coffee’s caffeine content is highly variable. For reference, a large (“grande”) coffee at Starbucks contains about 330 mg of caffeine.

If you notice that you often feel nervous or jittery, it might be a good idea to look at your caffeine intake and cut it back.

Summary: Although
low-to-moderate doses of caffeine can increase alertness, larger amounts may
lead to anxiety or edginess. Monitor your own response in order to determine
how much you can tolerate.

2. Insomnia

Caffeine’s ability to help people stay awake is one of its most prized qualities.

On the other hand, too much caffeine can make it difficult to get enough restorative sleep.

Studies have found that higher caffeine intake appears to increase the amount of time it takes to fall asleep. It may also decrease total sleeping time, especially in the elderly (13, 14).

By contrast, low or moderate amounts of caffeine don’t seem to affect sleep very much in people considered “good sleepers,” or even those with self-reported insomnia (15).

You may not realize that too much caffeine is interfering with your sleep if you underestimate the amount of caffeine you’re taking in.

Although coffee and tea are the most concentrated sources of caffeine, it is also found in soda, cocoa, energy drinks and several types of medication.

For example, an energy shot may contain up to 350 mg of caffeine, while some energy drinks provide as much as a whopping 500 mg per can (16).

Importantly, the amount of caffeine you can consume without affecting your sleep will depend on your genetics and other factors.

In addition, caffeine consumed later in the day may interfere with sleep because its effects can take several hours to wear off.

Research has shown that while caffeine remains in your system for an average of five hours, the time period may range from one and a half hours to nine hours, depending on the individual (17).

One study investigated how the timing of caffeine ingestion affects sleep. Researchers gave 12 healthy adults 400 mg of caffeine either six hours before bedtime, three hours before bedtime or immediately prior to bedtime.

Both the time it took all three groups to fall asleep and the time they spent awake at night increased significantly (18).

These results suggest that it’s important to pay attention to both the amount and timing of caffeine to optimize your sleep.

Summary: Caffeine can
help you stay awake during the day, but it may negatively impact your sleep
quality and quantity. Cut off your caffeine consumption by the early afternoon
to avoid sleeping problems.

3. Digestive Issues

Many people find that a morning cup of coffee helps get their bowels moving.

Coffee’s laxative effect has been attributed to the release of gastrin, a hormone the stomach produces that speeds up activity in the colon. What’s more, decaffeinated coffee has been shown to produce a similar response (19, 20, 21).

However, caffeine itself also seems to stimulate bowel movements by increasing peristalsis, the contractions that move food through your digestive tract (21).

Given this effect, it’s not surprising that large doses of caffeine may lead to loose stools or even diarrhea in some people.

Although for many years coffee was believed to cause stomach ulcers, a large study of more than 8,000 people didn’t find any link between the two (22).

On the other hand, some studies suggest that caffeinated beverages may worsen gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in some people. This seems to be especially true of coffee (23, 24, 25).

In a small study, when five healthy adults drank caffeinated water, they experienced a relaxation of the muscle that keeps stomach contents from moving up into the throat — the hallmark of GERD (25).

Since coffee can have major effects on digestive function, you may want to cut back on the amount you drink or switch to tea if you experience any issues.

Summary: Although small
to moderate amounts of coffee can improve gut motility, larger dosages may lead
to loose stools or GERD. Reducing your coffee intake or switching to tea may be
beneficial.

4. Muscle Breakdown

Rhabdomyolysis is a very serious condition in which damaged muscle fibers enter the bloodstream, leading to kidney failure and other problems.

Common causes of rhabdomyolysis include trauma, infection, drug abuse, muscle strain and bites from poisonous snakes or insects.

In addition, there have been several reports of rhabdomyolysis related to excessive caffeine intake, although this is relatively rare (26, 27, 28, 29).

In one case, a woman developed nausea, vomiting and dark urine after drinking 32 ounces (1 liter) of coffee containing roughly 565 mg of caffeine. Fortunately, she recovered after being treated with medication and fluids (29).

Importantly, this is a large dosage of caffeine to consume within a short period of time, especially for someone who isn’t used to it or is highly sensitive to its effects.

In order to reduce the risk of rhabdomyolysis, it’s best to limit your intake to about 250 mg of caffeine per day, unless you’re used to consuming more.

Summary: People may
develop rhabdomyolysis, or the breakdown of damaged muscle, after they ingest
large amounts of caffeine. Limit your intake to 250 mg per day if you’re
uncertain of your tolerance.

5. Addiction

Despite all of caffeine’s health benefits, there’s no denying that it may become habit-forming.

A detailed review suggests that although caffeine triggers certain brain chemicals similarly to the way cocaine and amphetamines do, it does not cause classic addiction the way these drugs do (30).

However, it may lead to psychological or physical dependency, especially at high dosages.

In one study, 16 people who typically consumed high, moderate or no caffeine took part in a word test after going without caffeine overnight. Only high caffeine users showed a bias for caffeine-related words and had strong caffeine cravings (31).

Additionally, the frequency of caffeine intake seems to play a role in dependency.

In another study, 213 caffeine users completed questionnaires after going 16 hours without consuming it. Daily users had greater increases in headaches, fatigue and other withdrawal symptoms than non-daily users (32).

Even though the compound does not seem to cause true addiction, if you regularly drink a lot of coffee or other caffeinated beverages, there’s a very good chance you may become dependent on its effects.

Summary: Going without
caffeine for several hours may lead to psychological or physical withdrawal
symptoms in those who consume large amounts on a daily basis.

6. High Blood Pressure

Overall, caffeine doesn’t seem to increase the risk of heart disease or stroke in most people.

However, it has been shown to raise blood pressure in several studies due to its stimulatory effect on the nervous system (33, 34, 35, 36).

Elevated blood pressure is a risk factor for heart attack and stroke because it may damage arteries over time, restricting the flow of blood to your heart and brain.

Fortunately, caffeine’s effect on blood pressure seems to be temporary. Also, it seems to have the strongest impact on people who aren’t used to consuming it.

High caffeine intake has also been shown to raise blood pressure during exercise in healthy people, as well as in those with mildly elevated blood pressure (37, 38).

Therefore, paying attention to the dosage and timing of caffeine is important, especially if you already have high blood pressure.

Summary: Caffeine seems
to raise blood pressure when consumed at high doses or prior to exercise, as
well as in people who rarely consume it. But this effect may only be temporary,
so it’s best to monitor your response.

7. Rapid Heart Rate

The stimulatory effects of high caffeine intake may cause your heart to beat faster.

It may also lead to altered heartbeat rhythm, called atrial fibrillation, which has been reported in young people who consumed energy drinks containing extremely high doses of caffeine (39).

In one case study, a woman who took a massive dose of caffeine powder and tablets in an attempted suicide developed a very rapid heart rate, kidney failure and other serious health issues (40).

However, this effect doesn’t seem to occur in everyone. Indeed, even some people with heart problems may be able to tolerate large amounts of caffeine without any adverse effects.

In one controlled study, when 51 heart failure patients consumed 100 mg of caffeine per hour for five hours, their heart rates and rhythms remained normal (41).

Regardless of the mixed study results, if you notice any changes in your heart rate or rhythm after drinking caffeinated beverages, consider decreasing your intake.

Summary: Large doses of
caffeine may increase heart rate or rhythm in some people. These effects appear
to vary greatly from person to person. If you feel them, consider reducing your
intake.

8. Fatigue

Coffee, tea and other caffeinated beverages are known to boost energy levels.

However, they can also have the opposite effect by leading to rebound fatigue after the caffeine leaves your system.

One review of 41 studies found that although caffeinated energy drinks increased alertness and improved mood for several hours, participants were often more tired than usual the following day (42).

Of course, if you continue to drink lots of caffeine throughout the day, you can avoid the rebound effect. On the other hand, this may affect your ability to sleep.

To maximize caffeine’s benefits on energy and avoid rebound fatigue, consume it in moderate rather than high doses.

Summary: Although
caffeine provides energy, it can indirectly lead to fatigue when its effects
wear off. Aim for moderate caffeine intake to help minimize rebound fatigue.

9. Frequent Urination and Urgency

Increased urination is a common side effect of high caffeine intake due to the compound’s stimulatory effects on the bladder.

You may have noticed that you need to urinate frequently when you drink more coffee or tea than usual.

Most research looking at the compound’s effects on urinary frequency has focused on older people and those with overactive bladders or incontinence (43, 44, 45).

In one study, 12 young to middle-aged people with overactive bladders who consumed 2 mg of caffeine per pound (4.5 mg per kilogram) of body weight daily experienced significant increases in urinary frequency and urgency (44).

For someone weighing 150 pounds (68 kg), this would equate to about 300 mg of caffeine per day.

In addition, high intake may increase the likelihood of developing incontinence in people with healthy bladders.

One large study looked at the effects of high caffeine intake on incontinence in more than 65,000 women without incontinence.

Those who consumed more than 450 mg daily had a significantly increased risk of incontinence, compared to those who consumed less than 150 mg per day (45).

If you drink a lot of caffeinated beverages and feel that your urination is more frequent or urgent than it should be, it may be a good idea to cut back on your intake to see if your symptoms improve.

Summary: High caffeine
intake has been linked to increased urinary frequency and urgency in several
studies. Reducing your intake may improve these symptoms.

The Bottom Line

Light-to-moderate caffeine intake seems to provide impressive health benefits in many people.

On the other hand, very high dosages may lead to side effects that interfere with day-to-day living and might even cause serious health issues.

Although responses vary from person to person, the effects of high intake demonstrate that more isn’t necessarily better.

To get the benefits of caffeine without undesirable effects, conduct an honest assessment of your sleep, energy levels and other factors that might be affected, and reduce your intake if needed.

Can too much caffeine increase the risk of a heart attack?

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Publication date
01/10/2023

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Coffee lovers rejoice! There are several studies that show that the risk of developing coronary heart disease and heart attack in caffeinated coffee drinkers is very small. What’s more, it has been found that the more coffee people drink, the lower their risk of developing heart failure. While these results help dispel the belief that coffee is bad for health, there is still much to be learned about the link between coffee and heart health. If you’ve been wondering, “Can coffee increase your heart rate?” or “Is there a link between coffee and blood pressure?”, PCMC cardiologists are ready to answer these and other questions.

Can coffee increase heart rate?

After the first sip of coffee, caffeine enters the bloodstream from the stomach and small intestine, stimulating the central nervous system. The receptors on your cells in the heart speed up, causing a slight increase in heart rate (about three beats per minute). In different people, the heart rate increases in different ways. The amount of increase depends on several factors, including:

• amount of caffeine consumed
• frequency of use
• person’s height and weight
• physiology

After consuming caffeine, its effects can appear as early as fifteen minutes and last for several hours. If you do not experience symptoms such as dizziness, a temporary increase in heart rate should not have a lasting or noticeable effect on the body.

Coffee and blood pressure

Two other important studies of note are the Framingham Heart Study and a 2014 review in Circulation. The Framingham Heart Study found that adults who drank any amount of caffeinated coffee had a 43% reduction in cardiovascular death compared to those who did not drink coffee. The Circulation study found that adults who drink three to five cups of caffeinated coffee a day have a lower risk of heart disease compared to those who drink none or more than six or more cups a day. While there is growing evidence that coffee is good for you in moderation, there are several variables that need to be taken into account to make a definitive conclusion about the health benefits of coffee. While coffee and caffeine are often considered “bad” for the heart due to associations such as heart palpitations, high blood pressure, etc. , the link between increased coffee consumption and reduced heart disease outweighs these negative connotations.

How to keep your heart healthy

There are many other ways to reduce your risk of coronary heart disease, including:

• Moderate exercise every day
• Stress management
• Cholesterol lowering
• Smoking avoidance
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Balanced nutrition
• Restriction of sugary and processed foods

Why choose PCMC for all your heart health needs?

If you’ve been looking for the best cardiologists nearby, stop looking and contact PCMC today! We are the leading cardiology center in the Vladimir region. We deal with the prevention and treatment of all aspects of cardiovascular diseases and offer our patients the most advanced methods of cardiovascular disease treatment. Contact us today by phone or leave a request on the site to make an appointment.

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How caffeine affects the human body

December 12, 2012

How does caffeine affect the human body? How much coffee or tea a day won’t hurt? Is it possible to “poison” caffeine? We understand.

Caffeine is considered to be one of the best natural stimulants. It reduces the feeling of fatigue, increases attention and improves mood. The main sources of this substance are coffee, tea, mate and chocolate.
How does caffeine affect the human body? How much coffee or tea a day won’t hurt? Is it possible to “poison” caffeine? We understand.

Why is caffeine “invigorating”?

First, when ingested, caffeine mimics the neurohormone adenosine, which slows down nerve impulses and causes drowsiness. Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors in the brain and other organs, preventing this substance from binding to them.
Thus, it suppresses relaxation, increases attention and reaction speed.
Secondly, caffeine stimulates the release of the hormone adrenaline, which increases heart rate and blood pressure, as well as increases blood flow to the muscles and provokes the flow of glucose into the blood from its depot in the liver.
Third, caffeine increases levels of the neurohormone dopamine in the brain. This substance is responsible for feelings of well-being and happiness. It is the feeling of cheerfulness and recovery after a good cup of coffee that is the cause of addiction to caffeine.

Caffeine: where and how much

We tell you where to look for caffeine, what determines its content in products and how to calculate how much caffeine you consume daily.

Can caffeine help you sober up?

According to a common myth, caffeine is not only a powerful tonic, but also a substance that can fight the consequences of drinking alcohol.
Scientists have proven that this myth is not true: it is impossible to sober up with the help of caffeinated drinks, and it is easy to harm your body.
Since caffeine creates the illusion of cheerfulness, and alcohol reduces attention and criticality to one’s own actions, the combination of these substances can push a drunk person to rash acts: driving a car, walking in the cold in light clothes, conflicts with others.
In addition, the invigorating effect of caffeine does not allow a person to adequately assess the degree of his intoxication and continue to drink alcohol. This can lead to serious poisoning.

When is caffeine safe?

For most people, the safe daily dose of caffeine is 300 mg . This is the equivalent of three small cups of strong coffee.
However, do not forget that the level of caffeine in different varieties of tea, coffee and chocolate can vary.
In addition, some people have an increased sensitivity to caffeine. Already 100 mg of this substance can cause them unpleasant overdose symptoms.
The lethal dose of caffeine is from 10 to 20 g. However, it is quite difficult to die from caffeine abuse. To kill a man weighing about 70 kg in such a sophisticated way, you will need to treat him immediately to 100 cups of coffee.

When is too much caffeine?

The symptoms of a caffeine overdose are fairly easy to recognize. These include:

• palpitations
• increased anxiety
• insomnia
• diarrhea
• frequent urination
• dizziness
• spasms in the stomach and intestines
• flushing of the face
• thirsty
• nausea
• headaches

Symptoms of hypersensitivity to caffeine are very similar to those that occur with its overdose. Attention: they can occur when eating products even with a small content of this substance – for example, chocolate!

What increases sensitivity to caffeine?

• Caffeine sensitivity increases with age.
• Women are more sensitive to caffeine than men.
• Cardiovascular disease increases susceptibility to the effects of caffeine.
• Irregular consumption of caffeine. The less often a person consumes drinks rich in caffeine, the more sensitive he is to this substance.
• Drug interactions. The compatibility of the drug with caffeine is usually written in the instructions for use.
• Being underweight increases sensitivity to caffeine.

Is caffeine a drug?

Caffeine is a stimulant that can be addictive if consumed regularly in excess. This substance is often referred to as “the most popular legal drug in the world.”
Abruptly stopping the use of caffeinated beverages can cause a withdrawal syndrome.
Generally, the more caffeine a person consumes, the higher their chances of developing unpleasant symptoms caused by its absence. The first signs of “coffee withdrawal” begin 12-14 hours after the last cup of coffee or energy drink.

Refusal of coffee: personal experience

Takzdorovo.Ru editor Snezhana Shabanova tells how to get rid of coffee addiction, and Maria Skatova, a permanent author of the portal, shares her personal experience of giving up coffee.

Caffeine withdrawal symptoms

• chills
• decreased attention
• depressive mood
• difficulty concentrating
• constipation
• drowsiness
• headaches
• irritability
• muscle pain

When these symptoms appear, it means that you are drinking too much caffeinated beverages and your body has developed an addiction. In this case, experts recommend significantly reducing daily doses of caffeine or abandoning it altogether.