Research: Coffee can Reduce Risk of Heart Attack

A recent study recommends that moderate coffee drinking, three to five times a day, could keep the arteries from obstructing, and reduce the chances of strokes and heart attacks.

The research was conducted on 25,000 individuals, middle aged men and women, which found that individuals who drank the minimum and the maximum amount of coffee had the greatest chance of a coronary artery calcium, a symptom that the arteries are being blocked, increasing the risk of a heart disease.

Many researches have been done on the consumption of coffee and the relative impact on heart which have provided different conclusions and hence a debate on the topic continues. Earlier the researchers debated that coffee increases the risk of heart disease, by raising the blood pressure and cholesterol, but recently the meta-analysis of 356 studies have suggested that drinking it in a moderate amount can even protect the heart.

This new research which was published in an online journal ‘Heart’ concludes that three to five cups a day is the ideal amount of coffee intake.

The international study, led by the Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Seoul, screened thousands of patients for the presence of coronary artery calcium – an early sign of clogged arteries, which can harden and narrow, leading to clots which can trigger heart attacks and The group, who had an average age of 41, and no signs of strokes, were also asked detailed questions about their eating and drinking habits.

Researchers categorized coffee consumption as none, less than one cup a day, one to three cups a day, three to five per day and at least five or more per day. They found those drinking three to five cups had the lowest amount of coronary artery calcium (CAC), closely followed by those drinking one to three cups a day. Meanwhile, those drinking less than a cup a day had levels of calcium almost as high as those who had at least five cups a day, the study found.

Coffee consumption is already associated with improved insulin sensitivity and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Researchers said the role of coffee protecting the heart might be explained by this impact on diabetes, as the condition increases the risk of hardened arteries.

The study took account of other potential cofounders such as education level, physical activity level, smoking status, BMI, alcohol consumption, family history of heart disease and consumption of fruits, vegetables, and red and processed meats. The association was similar in different sub groups, regardless of as age, sex, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and the presence of obesity, diabetes or high blood pressure.

According to the author, the study added to a growing body of evidence suggesting that coffee consumption might be inversely associated with CVD [cardiovascular disease] risk. He said that a further research was wanted to confirm their findings and establish the biological basis of coffee’s potential preventive effects on coronary artery disease.