Is Coffee Harmful For Heart Health?

Is Coffee Harmful For Heart Health? - We often wonder whether coffee is harmful to heart health? That question sometimes we hear, especially from those who have heart disease but like to drink coffee before. Is it safe to continue the habit?

When you ask it to cardiologists and internists, they generally would suggest to stop it. Caffeine in coffee may act as stimulants that increase the heart load or even trigger a heart attack, they said. However, the fact that opinion is not necessarily true. Various studies on the effects of coffee on heart disease patients still provide a variety of conclusions.

Research in Canada

The study, published in Epidemiology magazine (Sept, 2006) showed that in some people coffee can trigger heart attacks within one hour after drinking it. Caffeine causes an increase in short-term blood pressure and sympathetic nerve activity that can trigger heart attacks. The risk is highest among light coffee drinkers (those consuming up to one cup a day). For these people, the risk of heart attack increases fourfold. Coffee drinkers are (those who consumed two or three cups a day) have an increased risk of heart attack by 60% by drinking a cup of coffee. Lowest effect evident to heavy coffee drinkers (those who drank four cups or more per day). For them, drinking coffee does not seem to increase the risk of heart attack.

"For people who do not drink coffee regularly, it will cause a surge of caffeine on the system (cardiovascular) them," said Ahmed El-Sohemy, PhD, a nutrition expert at the University of Toronto, Canada. "We know that caffeine causes a temporary increase in blood pressure, so they are not used to eat them would get a wave of increases that are harmful to the heart of the vulnerable", he added. In a previous study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (March, 2006), El-Sohemy mentions that certain people have a genetic variation that causes a slower metabolism of caffeine, so its impact is the increased risk of heart attack after consuming coffee. In those who have a fast metabolism of caffeine, coffee actually beneficial to heart health.

Research in Italy and US

A study in Italy has evaluated more than 11,000 adults who reported a heart attack within the previous three months and check out their coffee intake during the study period. Consumption of coffee they are grouped as follows: never / almost never, less than 2 cups per day, 2 to 4 cups per day, and more than 4 cups per day. After more than three years, the risk of heart attacks, deaths from heart attacks and strokes is calculated based on the level of coffee consumption in the adult population who had suffered a heart attack it. The results, published in the journal Circulation (Dec, 2007), suggests that no relationship between coffee consumption and risk of heart attack, death from heart attack, or stroke.

For the record, the research was done on the Italians, who used to eat a Mediterranean diet and drinking coffee prepared by way of Italy. Most study participants were drinking coffee or espresso mocha, which is filtered from the brewed coffee powder in hot water a very short time. It is unknown whether the results would be similar conclusion when the coffee drunk as coffee brewed by the people who figured in the diet, in common with Indonesia.

In another study, followed by nearly 12,000 U.S. nurses with a history of heart disease or stroke, it is known that those who regularly drank caffeinated coffee do not have a greater mortality risk than non-coffee drinkers. The results of a study that lasted more than 20 years was reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (May, 2011). The researchers found no association between coffee intake and risk of death from heart attack, stroke or other causes. It also applies to women who drank four cups or more per day.

So what the conclusion?

Referring to the studies above, if you are a coffee addict who used to drink four or more cups of coffee a day, there is no reason to kick the habit after a heart attack. However, if you only mild or moderate coffee connoisseur, apparently more secure if you do not drink it again after getting a heart attack, especially if your blood pressure is controlled, and you experience palpitations (heart pounding), difficulty sleeping, and other problems after drinking coffee. 

So, is coffee Harmful For heart health? hopefully this article can provide an answer for you.