Coffee drinking is associated with increased longevity

According to research published today in the European Publication of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the ESC1, drinking two to three cups of coffee per day is associated with a longer lifetime and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.1 The conclusions held true for decaffeinated, instant, and ground variants.

According to study author Professor Peter Kistler of the Baker Heart and Diabetes Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, "in this large, observational study, ground, instant, and decaffeinated coffee were associated with equivalent reductions in the incidence of cardiovascular disease and death from cardiovascular disease or any cause." The findings imply that a mild to moderate intake of ground, instant, and decaffeinated coffee should be regarded as a component of a healthy lifestyle.

The effects of various coffee preparations on heart health and survival are poorly understood. Using data from the UK Biobank, which included adults between the ages of 40 and 69, this study looked at the relationships between different types of coffee and incident arrhythmias, cardiovascular disease, and death. Coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, and ischemic stroke were all considered to be cardiovascular diseases.

At baseline, none of the 449,563 participants in the study had any arrhythmias or other cardiovascular illness. The average age was 58, and women made up 55.3% of the population. Participants responded to questions about their daily coffee consumption and their preference for instant, ground (like cappuccino or filtered coffee), or decaffeinated coffee. Then, they were divided into six groups of daily intake: none, less than one, one, two to three, four to five, and more than five cups. 198,062 (44.1%) individuals reported drinking instant coffee, 82,575 (18.4%) ground coffee, and 68,416 (15.2%) decaffeinated coffee most frequently. The comparison group consisted of 100,510 (22.4%) non-coffee drinkers.

After correcting for age, sex, ethnicity, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea, smoking status, and tea and alcohol intake, coffee drinkers and non-drinkers were compared for the incidence of arrhythmias, cardiovascular disease, and death. Medical and death data were used to gather information on the outcome. The median follow-up period was 12.5 years.

Participants died while being followed up on a total of 27,809 (6.2%). Coffee of all varieties has been associated with a decrease in fatalities of any kind. The highest risk decrease was shown with two to three cups per day, which compared to not drinking any coffee was associated with a 14%, 27%, and 11% lower likelihood of mortality for decaffeinated, ground, and instant preparations, respectively.

During follow-up, 43,173 (9.6%) patients had cardiovascular disease identified. There was a decrease in incident cardiovascular disease across the board for all varieties of coffee. Again, the lowest risk was shown with two to three cups per day, which compared to quitting coffee was linked to a 6%, 20%, and 9% lower risk of cardiovascular disease for decaffeinated, ground, and instant coffee, respectively.

In 30,100 (6.7%) of the subjects who had follow-up, an arrhythmia was identified. Atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias were decreased in people who drank ground and instant coffee but not decaffeinated. The lowest risks were noted with four to five cups of ground coffee per day and two to three cups of instant coffee per day, with 17% and 12% lower risks, respectively, compared to non-drinkers.

Professor Kistler stated: "Although coffee contains more than 100 biologically active ingredients, caffeine is the one that is most well-known. The positive correlations between coffee consumption, cardiovascular disease, and survival were most likely caused by non-caffeinated chemicals. Our research suggests that enjoying little amounts of coffee in any form is not only acceptable but also beneficial for your heart."

European Society of Cardiology