Moderate coffee consumption benefits aging hearts

One to two cups of coffee per day improved arterial elasticity in a cohort of elderly hypertensive adults living on the Greek island Ikaria, according to preliminary results reported by researchers from the University of Athens.

From a group of 973 adults aged 65-100, the researchers assessed coffee consumption in a cohort of 235 hypertensive individuals. Ikaria residents are known to have long life spans, with many reaching age 90. Strong coffee boiled in the Greek style is a traditional daily habit.

Hypertension contributes to blood vessel rigidity and aortic function is an important prognostic indicator for cardiovascular events.

Lifestyle, sociodemographic and cardiovascular risk factors including diabetes, obesity and physical activities were evaluated as well.

After adjusting for confounders, the researchers found that residents who drank moderate amounts of coffee (one to two cups) daily had greater aortic distensibility compared to those who rarely drank coffee (P=0.045).

In addition, these subjects had lower prevalence of diabetes, hyperlipidemia and cardiac disease as well as lower body-mass index.

The authors cautioned that mental state and stress should not be discounted when assessing hypertension in coffee drinkers.

“In our cohort, those who were drinking coffee were drinking coffee in a good spirit,” said lead author Dr. Christina Chrysohoou, of the University of Athens. “So again, the psychological status plays a rather important role.”

The researchers did not observe similar beneficial effects on aortic distensibility in subjects who drank more than three cups of coffee per day, proposing that the caffeine counteracts the protective health effects of the polyphenols, which they note are particularly rich in Greek coffee blends.

Both coffee drinkers and non-drinkers had similar diets and similar systolic and diastolic pressure levels.

Previous studies on the effects of coffee on the cardiovascular system have given conflicting results.

Source: Medical Tribune