A
study by Gunter et al published in the Annals
of Internal Medicine found that drinking one cup
of coffee a day was associated with a 12 percent decrease in risk of death, and
that drinking two to three cups a day decreased the risk of death by 18
percent.
The authors studied a cohort of 521 330 persons from 10 European
countries enrolled in European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and
Nutrition (EPIC). They evaluated the association
of coffee consumption with serum biomarkers of liver function, inflammation, and
metabolic health.
During a mean follow-up of 16.4 years, 41 693 deaths
occurred. Compared with non-consumers, participants in the highest quartile of
coffee consumption had statistically significantly lower all-cause mortality.
Inverse associations were observed for digestive disease mortality for both
sexes. Among women, there was a statistically significant inverse association
of coffee drinking with circulatory disease mortality and cerebrovascular
disease mortality and a positive association with ovarian cancer mortality.
The authors concluded that coffee drinking was associated with
reduced risk for death from various causes. This relationship did not vary among
populations in the countries studied.
In another study by Parket al published in the Annals of Internal
Medicine the
authors report that coffee consumption was
linked with a lower risk of death among racially diverse populations. The study was conducted in Hawaii and Los
Angeles and participants were 185 855
African Americans, Native Hawaiians, Japanese Americans, Latinos, and whites
aged 45 to 75 years. 58 397
participants died during 16 years follow-up.
Compared with those who did not drink coffee, coffee consumption was
associated with lower total mortality after adjustment for smoking and other
potential confounders.
Among examined end points, inverse associations were observed
for deaths due to heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease, stroke, diabetes,
and kidney disease.
The authors concluded that coffee consumption was
associated with lower risk for death in African Americans, Japanese Americans,
Latinos, and whites. Only native
Hawaiians did not reach statistical significance.
Coffee is one of the most
frequently consumed beverages worldwide. In the United States, about 75% of
adults drink coffee. Coffee is a major
source of caffeine and several bioactive substances. Because of the widespread consumption of
coffee, understanding its health effects is important.
