Coffee May Not Harm Heart

Adding to the debate about the purported cardiac dangers of drinking coffee, a study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health has found that coffee consumption has no statistically significant effect on the risk of coronary heart disease.

Conducted by Sarah A. Rosner—a doctoral student in epidemiology at the School of Public Health—and colleagues, the study followed a group of Swedish women between the ages of 40 and 74 for over a decade.

The findings revealed that the women who drank five or more cups of coffee per week had a 32 percent reduced relative risk of getting a heart attack compared with the women who drank zero to four cups per week, Rosner said.

Rosner added that there was no significant inverse association between coffee drinking and heart attacks, however.

Among coffee drinkers in the United States, the average consumption is 3.1 cups of coffee per day, according to statistics published by the National Institute of Health.

The high amount of caffeine in coffee leads to a temporary rise in blood pressure, causing many to question the health effects of the popular beverage, and other controlled studies have shown an increased risk of coronary heart disease associated with coffee consumption.

Although the results of the experiment revealed that higher levels of coffee consumption are not associated with an increase in the risk of heart attacks among middle-aged women, Rosner said she does not recommend that people increase their coffee consumption with the “goal of reducing their risk” for heart problems.

These results are consistent with other cohort studies done in all-male populations, but Rosner said it is possible that the results may vary if the type of coffee consumed or the method by which it is prepared differs between racial or ethnic populations.

Swedes were the subjects of choice in the study because they are known to be heavy coffee consumers and rarely come into contact with decaffeinated coffee, according to Rosner.

Barbara Ruhs, a dietician and nutritionist at Harvard University Health Services, pointed out that Scandinavian coffee is typically boiled, whereas coffee in the U.S. is filtered before consumption and thus has much more cholesterol raising substances that could lead to coronary heart disease.

“I don’t think these results can be generalized to American college students,” Ruhs wrote in an e-mail. “The method and type of coffee [Scandinavians] are drinking is not the same as say a Dunkin’ Donuts cup of coffee.”

Ruhs added that she would encourage students to drink coffee “in moderation.”

“It’s not just the coffee per se, what about all the sugar, artificial sweetners and other stuff that folks are putting in their coffee?” Ruhs added.

And many students said they are not about to ween themselves off the beverage.

Julian K. Arni ’10, a self-proclaimed coffee junkie, said that he is a “very happy man” now that “they have found that alcohol and chocolate are good for your heart, and that coffee doesn’t increase the risk of heart disease.”

Elizabeth G. Shields ’10, who drinks about two cups of coffee every day, said she relies on the stimulant to keep her going.

“It is hard enough for me to get through the day with coffee. Essentially I need my coffee!” Shields said.

The study was first published in the February edition of the American Journal of Epidemiology.