According to research presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 71st Annual Scientific Session, drinking coffee – particularly two to three cups per day – is not only related with a decreased risk of heart disease and harmful cardiac rhythms, but also with living longer. These patterns were observed in both patients with and without cardiovascular disease. The studies, which are the largest to look at coffee’s possible impact in heart disease and mortality, give confidence that coffee isn’t linked to new or worsening heart disease and may instead be heart protective, according to the researchers.
“Because coffee can increase heart rate, some individuals are concerned that consuming it can induce or aggravate certain cardiac problems.” This is where widespread medical recommendations to abstain from coffee use may originate from.
“However, our findings suggest that daily coffee consumption should not be discouraged, but rather included as part of a healthy diet for people with and without heart disease,” said Peter M. Kistler, MD, senior author of the study and professor and head of arrhythmia research at the Alfred Hospital and Baker Heart Institute in Melbourne, Australia. “We discovered that coffee consumption had either a neutral impact (meaning it caused no damage) or was related with advantages to heart health.”
Kistler and his colleagues analysed data from the UK BioBank, a large-scale prospective database containing health information from over 500,000 people who were followed for at least ten years.
Researchers examined the relationship between varying levels of coffee consumption, ranging from one cup to more than six cups per day, and heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias); cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery disease, heart failure, and stroke; and total and heart-related deaths in people with and without cardiovascular disease. Patients were divided into five groups based on how much coffee they reported consuming each day: 0, 1, 1, 2-3, 4-5, and >5 cups/day. Questionnaires completed upon registration in the registry were used to measure coffee consumption. Overall, they found no effect or, in many cases, significant decreases in cardiovascular risk after adjusting for factors such as exercise, alcohol, smoking, diabetes, and high blood pressure, all of which may have a role in heart health and lifespan.
The first study looked at data from 382,535 people without known heart disease to investigate if coffee consumption played a role in the development of heart disease or stroke during a 10-year period. The average age of the participants was 57, and half were female. In general, drinking two to three cups of coffee per day was related with the most benefit, resulting in a 10% to 15% decreased risk of getting coronary heart disease, heart failure, a cardiac rhythm disorder, or dying for any cause. People who consumed one cup of coffee per day had the lowest risk of stroke or heart-related mortality. Researchers discovered a U-shaped link between coffee consumption and new cardiac rhythm abnormalities. The greatest advantage was shown in persons who drank two to three cups of coffee per day, with less benefit seen in those who drank more or less.
The second research enrolled 34,279 people who had some sort of cardiovascular illness at the start. Coffee consumption of two to three cups per day was connected with a decreased risk of death when compared to no coffee. Importantly, any quantity of coffee consumed was not related with an increased risk of heart rhythm disorders such as atrial fibrillation (AFib) or atrial flutter, which Kistler noted is frequently what physicians are concerned about. Drinking coffee was connected with a decreased risk of mortality among the 24,111 participants included in the study who had an arrhythmia at the start. People with AFib who consumed one cup of coffee each day, for example, were approximately 20% less likely to die than non-coffee drinkers.
“Clinicians often have some trepidation about persons with known cardiovascular disease or arrhythmias continuing to consume coffee,” Kistler said. “They frequently err on the side of caution and urge them to quit drinking it completely owing to fears that it may induce dangerous cardiac rhythms.” “However, our research suggests that regular coffee consumption is safe and may be part of a balanced diet for those with heart disease.”
Although two to three cups of coffee per day appeared to be the most beneficial overall, Kistler advised people not to increase their coffee consumption, especially if it causes them anxiety or discomfort.
“There are a variety of methods through which coffee may lower mortality and have these beneficial benefits on cardiovascular disease,” he explained. “Coffee aficionados can feel certain that they can continue to enjoy their favourite beverage even if they have heart disease. Coffee is the most often used cognitive booster; it wakes you up, makes you psychologically sharper, and is an essential part of many people’s everyday life.”
So, how may coffee beans help the heart? People frequently associate coffee with caffeine, yet coffee beans contain over 100 physiologically active chemicals. According to Kistler, these compounds can help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, enhance insulin sensitivity, accelerate metabolism, limit fat absorption in the gut, and block receptors known to be implicated in irregular cardiac rhythms.
In a third trial, researchers examined to see whether there were any changes in the link between coffee and cardiovascular disease based on whether the coffee was instant, ground, caffeinated, or decaffeinated.
They discovered that two to three cups of coffee per day were related with the lowest risk of arrhythmias, artery blockages in the heart, stroke, or heart failure, regardless of whether they drank ground or instant coffee. Death rates were lower across the board for all coffee kinds. With the exception of heart failure, decaf coffee had no beneficial effects on incidence arrhythmia but did lower cardiovascular illness. According to Kistler, the data indicate that caffeinated coffee is preferable across the board and that there are no cardiovascular benefits to selecting decaf coffee over caffeinated coffee.
These studies have some significant drawbacks.
Researchers were unable to account for any creamers, milk, or sugar drank, nor were they able to control for dietary components that may have a role in cardiovascular disease. Because the majority of the participants were white, more research is needed to discover whether these findings apply to other groups. Finally, coffee consumption was based on self-report via a questionnaire administered at the start of the trial. This should be taken into account when evaluating the study’s findings, while Kistler added that research indicates that people’s food patterns do not alter greatly in maturity or over time. According to Kistler, the findings need be verified in randomised studies.
