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Heart Health News| Staff Reporter | August
25, 2006
A cup of coffee may trigger a heart attack
(Dubai Health & News) A cup of coffee may cause a heart
attack in some people within an hour of drinking it, according to a
study reported in the September 2006 issue of the peer-reviewed journal
Epidemiology, a bimonthly publication published by Lippincott Williams
& Wilkins. The risk was highest among people with light or
occasional coffee intake, and those with a sedentary lifestyle or other
risk factors for coronary heart disease.
Studying 503 cases of non-fatal myocardial infarction in Costa Rica, Ana
Baylin of Brown University in the United States and her colleagues of
Harvard School of Public Health surveyed participants about their coffee
consumption in the hours and days before their heart attack. They also
studied the participants' socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle,
and medical history. They theorized that caffeine causes short-term
increases in blood pressure and sympathetic nervous activity that could
affect a vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque, and trigger a heart attack.
The researchers found that the moderate coffee drinkers, by having a cup
of coffee, increased their risk of having a heart attack by 60%. There
was little effect among heavy coffee drinkers, but light coffee drinkers
increased their risk of heart attack by more than four times. This may
be because lighter drinkers are less acclimated to the effects of
caffeine. Baylin and her team also found that patients with three or
more risk factors for coronary heart disease more than doubled their
risk.
"People at high risk for a heart attack who are occasional or
regular coffee drinkers might consider quitting coffee altogether,"
comments Baylin, adding that for these individuals, a cup of coffee
could pose a significant health risk.
Coffee's effects on the human body have been studied for years. Baylin's
study is unique in that it looks at immediate effects rather than those
that impact people's health long-term.
Although the study was conducted in Costa Rica, the researchers say that
the results are relevant to other countries where caffeine intake is
comparable.
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