According to new research, up to three cups of coffee a day is associated with a lower risk of stroke and fatal heart disease.
"To our knowledge, this is the largest study to systematically assess the cardiovascular effects of regular coffee consumption in a population with no diagnosed heart disease," said study author Dr. Judit Simon, from the Heart and Vascular Center, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
“Our results suggest that regular coffee consumption is safe, as even a high daily intake was not associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes and all-cause mortality after a 10- to 15-year follow-up,” she continued. “In addition, 0.5 to 3 cups of coffee per day was independently associated with a lower risk of stroke, death from cardiovascular disease and death from any cause.”
Although coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world, little is known about the long-term effects of regular consumption on cardiovascular health.
This study examined the association between habitual coffee intake and incident heart attack, stroke and death. The study included 468,629 UK Biobank participants with no signs of heart disease at the time of recruitment. The mean age was 56.2 years and 55.8% were female.
The participants were divided into three groups based on their usual coffee intake:none (not drinking coffee regularly, 22.1%), light to moderate (0.5 to 3 cups/day, 58.4%) and high ( more than 3 cups/day, 19.5%).
The researchers estimated the association of daily coffee consumption with incident outcomes over a median follow-up of 11 years using multivariable models. The analyzes were adjusted for factors that may influence the relationship, including age, gender, weight, height, smoking status, physical activity, hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol levels, socioeconomic status, and habitual intake of alcohol, meat, tea, fruits, and vegetables. /P>
Compared with non-coffee drinkers, light to moderate consumption was associated with a 12% lower risk of all-cause death, 17% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, and 21% lower risk of stroke. To explore the possible underlying mechanisms, the researchers analyzed the association between daily coffee intake and heart structure and function over a median follow-up of 11 years. To do this, they used data from 30,650 participants who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which is considered the gold standard for assessing heart structure and function. dr. Simon said:“The imaging analysis indicated that compared to participants who did not drink coffee regularly, everyday consumers had a healthier and better functioning heart. This was consistent with reversing the damaging effects of aging on the heart.” She concluded:“Our findings suggest that coffee consumption of up to 3 cups per day is associated with beneficial cardiovascular outcomes. While further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms, the observed benefits may be partially explained by positive changes in cardiac structure and function.”
