NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Feb 14 - Coffee consumption does not increase the risk of myocardial infarction, at least among older Swedish women, and it may even be protective, according to new study findings.
"Numerous studies have examined the association between coffee consumption and risk of myocardial infarction (MI), but results have been inconsistent," Dr. Sarah A. Rosner, of Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, and colleagues write in the February issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology. "Case-control studies generally suggest a harmful effect of coffee drinking, whereas cohort studies have mostly shown no association."
The researchers prospectively examined the effect of coffee consumption on the risk of MI in 32,650 Swedish women between 40 and 74 years of age. The women were participating in the Swedish Mammography Cohort, a population-based study established between 1987 and 1990. The participants were followed from 1997 to 2002.
A self-administered, 96-item food-frequency questionnaire was used to assess diet. Coronary heart disease outcomes, both fatal and nonfatal, were assessed by linkage with the Swedish Hospital Discharge Register and the Swedish Causes of Death Registry.
The average follow-up time was 5.1 years. A total of 459 MIs occurred during 165,896 person-years of follow-up. Of these, 391 were nonfatal and 68 were fatal.
On multivariate-adjusted analysis, the relative risk of MI associated with drinking five or more cups/week versus zero to four cups/week was 0.68, although this did not reach statistical significance.
Overall, there was "a nonsignificant trend toward lower risk with higher consumption levels," the investigators report.
"There are several plausible biologic mechanisms through which coffee may reduce risk of MI," Dr. Rosner's team explains. "Coffee contains phenolic compounds, which are known antioxidants and may reduce oxidative stress," they note. "Additionally, coffee has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and may protect against type 2 diabetes."
Last Updated: 2007-02-14 9:24:10 -0400 (Reuters Health)
Am J Epidemiol 2007;165:288-293.
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