Study: Caffeine May Prevent Heart Disease

U.S. adults 65 or older with higher caffeinated beverage intake exhibited lower relative risk of coronary vascular disease and heart mortality.

Using data from the first federal National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study, researchers at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center found that survey participants 65 or older with higher caffeinated beverage intake exhibited lower relative risk of coronary vascular disease and heart mortality than did participants with lower caffeinated beverage intake.

The protection against death from heart disease in the elderly afforded by caffeine is likely due to caffeine’s enhancement of blood pressure, said Dr. John Kassotis, an associate professor of medicine at SUNY Downstate.

The protective effect also was found to be dose-responsive: the higher the caffeine intake, the stronger the protection. The protective effect was found only in participants who were not severely hypertensive. No significant protective effect was in patients below the age of 65, according to the study published in The American Journal of Nutrition.

No protective effect was found against cerebrovascular disease mortality — death from stroke — regardless of age.