Regular, moderate coffee consumption may reduce the risk of heart failure, according to new research from the American Heart Association.
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PROBLEM: Though many studies have explored the relationship between drinking coffee and the risk of heart failure, their findings and conclusions have been inconsistent.
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METHODOLOGY: Scientists led by Harvard School of Public Health's Elizabeth Mostofsky reviewed research from 2001 to 2011 that assessed the connection between habitual coffee consumption and the incidence of heart failure. A total of 6,522 heart failure events and 140,220 participants were included in the meta-analysis.
RESULTS: Habitual, moderate coffee consumption, or drinking about two typical eight-ounce American servings a day, was inversely associated with risk of heart failure. Excessive intake, or drinking five to six commercial servings, appears to have no heart-related benefit and may even be dangerous. There was also no evidence that the link between caffeine and cardiovascular health varied by gender, heart-attack history or diabetes status.