Modest Coffee Consumption May Protect Against Heart Failure

Coffee is rich in antioxidants, with one cup providing 350 mg of phenolic compounds.  Previous studies have suggested that modest regular consumption may help to reduce the risksof stroke and certain cancers, and improve blood vessel health. Elizabeth Mostofsky, from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Massachusetts, USA), and colleagues analyzed data from five previous studies – four conducted in Sweden, one in Finland – that examined the association between coffee consumption and heart failure. The self-reported data came from 140,220 participants and involved 6,522 heart failure events. The researchers found a statistically significant J-shaped relationship between habitual coffee consumption and heart failure. Subjects who consumed two eight-ounce cups of American-style coffee, or four European-style cups, a day were found to be at 11% lower risk of heart failure. While the team was unclear as to the mechanism by which modest coffee consumption provides protection from heart failure, the study authors conclude that: "Moderate coffee consumption is inversely associated with risk of heart failure.”