Vindicated...Just saying.

Moderate Coffee Consumption and Mortality: Good News

Daniel D. Dressler, MD, MSc, SFHM, FACP reviewing Park S-Y et al. Ann Intern Med 2017 Jul 11. Two studies confirm an association between coffee intake and lower risk for death in diverse populations. Coffee contains antioxidants and other bioactive compounds that may have positive effects (e.g., reduced insulin resistance). Prior studies have suggested the protective effects of coffee; however, concerns over predominantly white U.S. participants as well as different coffee preparations from country to country have raised questions about the generalizability of these findings. Now, in two large cohort studies (one U.S., one European), researchers prospectively evaluated the effects of coffee intake in >700,000 participants (mean follow-up, 16 years). The U.S. cohort included minorities (e.g., black, Latino, Asian American) as well as whites, while the European cohort included 10 different countries. Each study adjusted for known and potential confounders. Both cohorts showed significant inverse associations between amount of coffee consumed and mortality. U.S. coffee drinkers who consumed ≥2 cups daily attained almost 20% relative risk reduction (RRR) in mortality compared with those drinking no coffee; European coffee drinkers of ≥2 cups daily exhibited RRRs of 7% to 10% (women) and 12% to 14% (men). Coffee-associated lower mortality was seen across all U.S. ethnic minorities and European countries; among nonsmokers, former smokers, and current smokers; and for caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee.

Comment These studies provide support that moderate coffee intake (2–5 cups daily) is safe and associated with reduced risk for death, probably in a dose-dependent fashion. If you're still debating the health benefits of coffee for your patients, you may want to do it over a cup of joe. From the NEJM Journal Watch Nutrition/Obesity, July 27, 2017