Heart disease risk reduces with coffee, study revealed

Coffee can reduce risk of heart attack and diabetes, according to a new study published by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee. It is a not-for-profit organization which found that those who drink three cups of coffee each day showed the lowest mortality risk of CVD at 21.1 percent.

"It is important to acknowledge factors which might have a protective effect against CVD mortality. Moderate coffee consumption could play a significant role in reducing CVD mortality risk, which would impact health outcomes and healthcare spending across Europe," said professor Doutor AntAnio Vaz Carneiro of the Faculdade de Medicine da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal.

Coffee was also associated with a lower risk of diabetes. Those who drank three to four cups a day lowered their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 25 percent when compared to those who drank less than two cups daily. The researchers say that people with diabetes typically have a higher CVD mortality risk, therefore this association may be linked to a decreased CVD risk.

The mechanism of action was not clear, the areas of interest for future research include the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of coffee, and the known association between coffee consumption and type 2 diabetes risk reduction as CVD mortality is typically higher in this group, researchers said.

By Lizitha