ISLAMABAD, JUNE 25 (ABC): Studies on coffee consumption variously claim that coffee harms the arteries, that it protects the heart, or that it has no effect on cardiovascular health. New research on thousands of participants weighs in again on the link between this favorite beverage and heart health.
Share on findings suggest that even heavy coffee drinkers may have nothing to worry about when it comes to cardiovascular health.
Does coffee harm, protect, or have no effect on heart health and the vascular system?
For years, scientists have been trying to answer these questions, since coffee is such a favorite beverage around the world.
While some studies warn that drinking coffee can increase a person’s risk of cardiovascular events, others suggest that it can help maintain heart health and blood vessel function.
Some researchTrusted Source has suggested that regularly drinking a lot of coffee contributes to aortic stiffness — this is when the aorta, which is the largest blood vessel in the human body, becomes less and less flexible. Aortic stiffness can contribute to the risk of cardiovascular disease.
At the same time, other evidence has indicated that drinking more than three cups of coffee a day can protect against atherosclerosis, a condition in which plaque builds up inside the arteries, preventing blood from flowing normally.
Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the Queen Mary University of London in the United Kingdom has found that even people who drink a significant amount of coffee each day do not experience arterial stiffness, meaning that coffee does not increase their risk of cardiovascular problems in this way.
Lead author Prof. Steffen Petersen and colleagues presented the study’s findings yesterday at the annual British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) Conference in Manchester, U.K.
The British Heart Foundation, a registered charity based in the U.K. that supports research about heart and circulatory conditions, funded the study.