Chronic Coffee Consumption Found Safe for Heart Health in Hypertensive Patients Over Long Term: Study Reveals

Evidence indicates that regular coffee consumption in normotensive individuals does not negatively impact cardiovascular health or total mortality. However, whether this holds true for high-risk cardiovascular patients, such as those with elevated blood pressure, remains a topic of ongoing debate. Therefore, Fosca Quarti-Trevano, Clinica Medica, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy, and colleagues explored the association between daily coffee intake and the risks of cardiovascular events and total mortality in hypertensive patients.

For this purpose, the researchers analyzed data from 943 hypertensive patients enrolled in the Pressioni Arteriose Monitorate E Loro Associazioni (PAMELA) study, categorizing them as coffee consumers or non-consumers based on self-reported information. Cardiovascular and total mortality outcomes were assessed at the 25-year follow-up, considering variables such as office blood pressure (BP) and 24-hour ambulatory BP.

The study revealed the following findings:

• Analysis of unadjusted data showed no significant difference in hazard ratios for cardiovascular and total mortality between coffee consumers and non-consumers when considering office blood pressure (0.85 versus 0.83, PNS) or 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (1.08 versus 0.80, PNS).
• Adjusted analysis for confounding factors such as age, sex, BP, lipid profile, plasma glucose, cholesterol levels, renal function, and previous cardiovascular events also showed no significant differences.
• The results remained consistent whether participants were analyzed based on the presence or absence of antihypertensive treatment.

The researchers conclude that chronic coffee consumption has neutral effects on cardiovascular and total mortality in normotensive individuals. While limited data exist on the impact of coffee consumption on fatal cardiovascular events among hypertensive patients with elevated cardiovascular risk, the study found no difference in cardiovascular mortality between coffee consumers and non-consumers over a 25-year follow-up. This remained true even after adjusting for potential confounders.

"These findings provide robust evidence from a large population sample with long-term follow-up, supporting the neutral effects of coffee consumption in hypertensive patients with increased cardiovascular risk profiles, the researchers concluded.

Reference:

Quarti-Trevano, F., Facchetti, R., Cuspidi, C., Mancia, G., & Grassi, G. (2024). Habitual coffee consumption and risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in the PAMELA hypertensive population. Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, 103776. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2024.10.014