Study finds three cups of coffee daily may reduce risk of heart diseases

CNN highlights that new research suggests that moderate caffeine consumption could be beneficial for cardiovascular health.

New research suggests that a morning coffee could offer more benefits than just a wake-up call. Dr. Chaofu Ke, an associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Soochow University, China, led a study that found moderate caffeine intake—about three cups of coffee or tea daily—was linked to a lower risk of developing cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CM). CM refers to having at least two cardiometabolic conditions, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, or type 2 diabetes. “Coffee and caffeine consumption may play an important protective role in almost all phases of CM development,” said Ke.

The study analyzed data from approximately 180,000 participants in the UK Biobank, which tracks individuals over time. Participants, who were free of cardiometabolic diseases at the start, reported their caffeine intake from coffee or tea, and their health outcomes were tracked via primary care records, hospital data, and death certificates. The findings, published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, revealed that moderate caffeine consumers had a 48.1 per cent lower risk of developing new cardiometabolic multimorbidity if they consumed three cups a day, or a 40.7 per cent reduction with 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine daily, compared to those who drank less or none. Dr. Gregory Marcus, associate chief of cardiology for research at the University of California, San Francisco, noted that the study’s large sample size and use of multiple biomarkers strengthen its findings. "These observations add to the growing body of evidence that caffeine, and commonly consumed natural substances that contain caffeine such as tea and coffee, may enhance cardiovascular health,” he said.

Despite the strong methodology and alignment with existing data on caffeine and heart health, questions remain about the full extent of the relationship between caffeine consumption and cardiovascular benefits. Dr. Gregory Marcus emphasized the need for caution when interpreting the study's findings. "It is important to emphasize that, while these data suggest a relationship between caffeine, tea, and coffee and a reduced risk of a combination of cardiovascular diseases, we need to be careful before we infer true causal effects," he said. 

By Naila Huseynova