Higher coffee intake increases risk of abdominal aortic calcification

In a recent study by Heze Fan and team found that the impact of heavy coffee consumption increases abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) among adults with and without hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The findings were published in Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases Journal.

The study, utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013–2014, included a total of 2,548 participants. Coffee consumption was assessed through 24-hour dietary recalls, while the severity of AAC was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).

After adjusting for various factors, including age, sex, smoking status, and body mass index, the results showed intriguing associations between coffee consumption and AAC scores. Among participants with hypertension, diabetes, and CVD, high coffee consumption (≥390 g/d) was linked to higher AAC scores. Specifically, individuals with hypertension showed a β value of 0.72 (95% CI: 0.21-1.22), those with diabetes displayed a β value of 1.20 (95% CI: 0.35-2.05), and participants with CVD had a β value of 2.03 (95% CI: 0.71-3.36). Notably, these associations were not observed among individuals without hypertension, diabetes, and CVD.

Interestingly, the study did not find a significant association between decaffeinated coffee consumption and AAC, suggesting that the observed effects may be attributed to the caffeine content in coffee.

The implications of these findings are particularly relevant for individuals with hypertension, diabetes, and CVD. It highlights the importance of considering coffee consumption, particularly caffeinated coffee, as a potential factor influencing AAC severity. Patients with these health conditions may benefit from adjusting their coffee intake as part of a comprehensive approach to reduce the burden of AAC.

It is important to note that this study is observational in nature and establishes associations rather than causal relationships. Further research is warranted to explore the underlying mechanisms and to validate these findings through longitudinal and interventional studies.

Source:

Fan, H., Xiong, Y., Huang, Y., Li, W., Xu, C., Feng, X., Hua, R., Yang, Y., Wang, Z., Yuan, Z., & Zhou, J. (2023). Coffee consumption and abdominal aortic calcification among adults with and without hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. In Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases. Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2023.06.013