Light-to-moderate coffee consumption linked to lower risks of stroke and fatal heart disease—study

Three cups of coffee a day may keep the doctor away.

A new study has found that having three cups of coffee daily can be linked to 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 without diagnosed heart disease,” said researcher Dr. Judit Simon of Semmelweis University’s Heart and Vascular Center.

Over 468,629 individuals showing no signs of heart disease at the time of recruitment took part in the UK Biobank study. They had an average age of 56.2 years and 55.8% of them were women. 

Based on their usual coffee intake, the participants were classified into three categories: those who didn’t have coffee frequently (22.1%), those who had 0.5 to 3 cups of coffee per day (58.4%), and those who consumed more than three cups of coffee daily (19.5%). 

Various factors were considered in the analysis such as age, sex, weight, height, smoking status, physical activity, high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol level, socioeconomic status, alcohol intake, meat, tea, fruit, and vegetables.

According to the findings, regular coffee consumption is safe, “as even high daily intake was not associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes and all-cause mortality after a follow-up of 10 to 15 years.” 

Respondents who had 0.5 to 3 cups of coffee per day were independently connected to reduced risk of stroke, death from cardiovascular disease, and even death from any cause. Additionally, their hearts showed better size and function compared to that of participants who didn’t have coffee on a regular basis.

"While further studies are needed to explain the underlying mechanisms, the observed benefits might be partly explained by positive alterations in cardiac structure and function," he explained.