There was good news this week for fans of one of the world's most popular drinks when scientists concluded there was no evidence to show that coffee can lead to arterial stiffness. The study led by Queen Mary University of London applied to individuals drinking up to 25 cups of coffee each day. The research, presented at the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) Conference in Manchester, evaluated the association between coffee consumption and arterial stiffness using two forms of stiffness measures: aortic distensibility (AoD), and arterial stiffness index (ASI) – which are both shown to predict cardiovascular events. Data From the UK Biobank The population cohort consisted of 17,932 participants in the UK Biobank Imaging Study who underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and pulse waveform measurements via finger probes. Participants with a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease were excluded, as were individuals who reported drinking more than 25 cups of coffee a day. Coffee drinkers were categorised into three groups: Those who drank less than 1 cup a day Those who drank between 1 and 3 cups a day Those who drank more than 3 cups each day Associations between coffee consumption and arterial stiffness were adjusted for age, sex, height, weight, ethnic background, and a range of other factors, including smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, and blood pressure. The study yielded no statistically significant differences in arterial stiffness between those who drank either 1-3 cups or more than 3 cups each day compared with those who drank less than one cup a day. Baseline characteristics of the 8412 participants included in the final analyses found that moderate and heavy coffee drinkers were more likely to be male, smoke, and consume alcohol regularly. No significant differences were observed in the systolic blood pressures and heart rates between the groups, the researchers said. Coffee 'Not as Bad as Previously Thought' Dr Kenneth Fung, who led the data analysis, said: "Despite the huge popularity of coffee worldwide, different reports could put people off from enjoying it. "Whilst we can't prove a causal link in this study, our research indicates coffee isn't as bad for the arteries as previous studies would suggest. "Although our study included individuals who drink up to 25 cups a day, the average intake amongst the highest coffee consumption group was 5 cups a day. We would like to study these people more closely in our future work so that we can help to advise safe limits." Prof Metin Avkiran, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, which part-funded the study, said: "Understanding the impact that coffee has on our heart and circulatory system is something that researchers and the media have had brewing for some time. "There are several conflicting studies saying different things about coffee, and it can be difficult to filter what we should believe and what we shouldn't. This research will hopefully put some of the media reports in perspective, as it rules out one of the potential detrimental effects of coffee on our arteries." Effect of coffee consumption on arterial stiffness from UK biobank imaging study, Fung K et al, abstract presented to the British Cardiovascular Society Annual Conference 201. Abstract . Source
