Three studies presented at the American College of Cardiology's 71st Annual Scientific Session suggested that daily consumption of coffee may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and could even lower the risk of death from any cause.
The authors of all three studies used a large UK health database to see how coffee consumption impacted heart issues and mortality. The database included data from over 500,000 people with follow-up data of 10 or more years. They grouped participants based on how many cups of coffee they drank per day (0, <1, 1, 2–3, 4–5, or >5) and controlled for factors including smoking, alcohol intake, exercise, diabetes, and hypertension.
In the first study, the researchers used data from over 380,000 people who did not have heart disease to see how coffee impacted the development of heart disease or stroke during the 10-year follow-up. They saw that people who drank 2–3 cups of coffee per day had the lowest risk overall, including a 10-15% lower risk of coronary artery disease, heart failure, heart rhythm issues, or death from any cause. The risk of having a stoke or dying from heart disease was lowest at slightly less coffee consumption — about 1 cup per day.
In the second study, the researchers used the data of about 34,000 people who entered the study with cardiovascular disease to see how coffee consumption impacted their risk of death. In this group, having 2–3 cups of coffee per day was associated with a lower risk of death than having no coffee. Additionally, consuming coffee in any amount was not associated with a higher risk of heart rhythm issues, which is a concern for many doctors and patients.
In the third study, the researchers looked at the differences between instant and ground coffee as well as caffeinated coffee vs. decaf. They found that the type of coffee (instant vs. ground) did not matter, but that caffeinated coffee appeared to have more benefits than decaf. Once again, having 2–3 cups of instant or ground coffee was associated with a lower risk of many heart issues, including arrhythmias, stokes, artery blockages, and heart failure. In addition, all coffee types were associated with a lower risk of death from any cause.
While the researchers do no recommend increasing coffee intake because of their studies, they pointed out that coffee drinkers can feel confident that their current intake will not have a negative impact on their hearts.
Sources: Science Daily