Caffeinated Drinks Protect Elderly Against Heart Disease

Over-65s who drink four or more caffeinated beverages every day may reduce their risk of heart disease by a whopping 53 per cent, suggests research from the US. But while the benefits of drinks were found to be dose-dependent, with increasing intake liked to lower risk, lead researcher James Greenberg and his co-workers stressed that this did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

“This study does not provide a valid basis for recommending increased consumption of caffeinate beverage,” wrote Greenberg. “Our findings require confirmation in future epidemiological, metabolic, and clinical trial studies.”

The apparent benefits were also only seen in people with normal blood pressure and are not applicable to hypertensives, said the researchers.

Intake of caffeinated beverages, including coffee, tea, and caffeinated cola and chocolate, was calculated from food frequency questionnaires, and classified according to average daily intake: less than half a serving, between half and two servings, two to four servings, four or more servings.

During the period of cardiovascular disease monitoring (between 1986 and 1992), in the participants over 65 years of age, 349 passed away from cardiovascular disease, 282 from heart disease, and 67 from cerebrovascular disease.

For this age group, the researchers report that increasing intake of caffeinate beverages was associated with decreasing risk of mortality from these conditions. Indeed, drinking four or more servings per day reduced the risk of heart disease mortality by 53 per cent.

The researchers also point out that, while significant effects were observed in people with normal blood pressure, or blood pressure at the upper limit of the normal range, no effect was observed in people with stage 2 hypertension. Also, no significant effect was observed amongst the participants younger than 65.
“Our main finding was that, in the prospective NHEFS cohort, participants aged 65 years or over without stage 2 hypertension who reported a higher intake of caffeinated beverages experienced a lower risk of heart disease mortality than did those who reported a lower intake,” wrote Greenberg.

“If our findings are confirmed, they may have important ramifications because caffeinated beverages are widely consumed and heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the elderly,” he said.

Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Volume 85, Pages 392-398
“Caffeinated beverage intake and the risk of heart disease mortality in the elderly: a prospective analysis”

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