Drinking a cup of coffee every day may reduce this heart risk, science shows

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As if you needed another reason to enjoy a fresh cup of brew in the morning, new research suggests that drinking just one cup of coffee a day may help protect one of your most essential organs – the heart. .

An analysis of three large studies published in the journal American Heart Association, Circulation: heart failure find that sipping at least a cup of caffeinated coffee every day was associated with a lower risk of heart failure. (Related: 108 most popular sodas ranked by toxicity).

Heart failure, stroke, and coronary heart disease are all among the leading causes of death from heart disease in the U.S. While there are several known risk factors for heart disease, such as age, l high blood pressure and smoking, many more remain unknown, according to David P. Kao, MD, and lead author of the study.

Coffee is regularly reviewed in scientific studies, with a lot of research on the health benefits and side effects of this drink consumed internationally. For this analysis, Kao and his team used machine learning through the American Heart Association’s Precision Medicine Platform to examine data from three well-known studies. Collectively, the studies provided information on more than 21,000 American adults, each with at least 10 years of follow-up.

The researchers then analyzed the results of consuming caffeinated coffee into four categories: 0 cups per day, 1 cup per day, 2 cups per day, and greater than or equal to 3 cups per day. It is important to note that all data on coffee consumption was self-reported by the participants.

The main takeaway? People who reported drinking at least one cup of caffeinated coffee each day had an associated decrease in long-term heart failure in all three major studies. Specifically, in two of the studies (Framingham Heart Study and Cardiovascular Health Study), over decades, the risk of heart failure is reduced by 5 to 12% per cup of coffee per day compared to those who did not drink coffee.

In the third study, Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, the risk of heart failure was 30% lower in people who drank two or more cups of coffee per day. Interestingly, decaffeinated coffee apparently had the opposite effect on the risk of heart failure, as shown in the Farmingham Health study; participants who reported drinking decaf java had an increased risk of heart failure.

“The association between caffeine and reduced risk of heart failure was surprising. Coffee and caffeine are often considered by the general population to be “bad” for the heart, as people associate them with palpitations, high blood pressure, etc. caffeine consumption and reduced risk of heart failure point to this assumption, ”Kao said in a statement.

“However, there is not yet enough clear evidence to recommend increasing coffee consumption to reduce the risk of heart disease with the same strength and certainty as quitting smoking, losing weight or to exercise. “

This is because the limitations of the study, such as how cups of coffee were measured (i.e. how many ounces per cup) and how cups of coffee were brewed (think in the French press compared to espresso) were not recorded, which could have affected the results.

In short, it can’t hurt to drink an 8-ounce cup of caffeinated coffee every day, unless directed otherwise by your doctor. To learn more, be sure to check out the side effects of consuming too much decaffeinated coffee, according to an expert.

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