2012-05-21 - General Health
Coffee can help to wake you up – and now a study suggests it might help you live longer, too. The study included more than 400,000 adults. They were followed for 13 years. Those who regularly drank coffee – even decaf – had slightly lower death rates than those who didn't. For example, women who drank 2 or 3 cups a day had a death rate that was 13% lower than women who didn't drink coffee. The lower death rates were found only after researchers adjusted for the fact that coffee drinkers were more likely to smoke. Coffee drinkers were less likely to have heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, stroke and infections. The study appeared in the May 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The Associated Press wrote about it.
By Robert H. Shmerling, M.D.
Harvard Medical School
What Is the Doctor's Reaction?
Did you ever wonder if all that coffee you drink might be bad for you?
Sure, it might make you jittery if you drink too much or if it's particularly strong. And it might keep you up at night, especially if you drink it late in the day. But are there other, more important health consequences of drinking coffee every day?
A new study addresses this question. And it's an important one: Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world.
The study, as published in today's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, compared the coffee consumption of more than more than 400,000 adults (ages 50 to 71) with their death rates over 13 years.
The initial results showed that coffee drinkers had a higher risk of death. But, before you swear off coffee, there's more to the story. It turned out that people who drank coffee also were more likely to smoke. Smoking is called a "confounder" – a factor other than coffee that can affect the death rate of coffee drinkers when compared with nondrinkers. After accounting for smoking (and other confounders), coffee drinkers actually had a lower death rate than those who did not drink coffee. That was true for people who drank decaf, as well as people drinking caffeinated coffee. Comparing women who drank coffee with those who did not, the death rates were:
- 5% lower for those drinking 1 cup per day
- 13% lower for those drinking 2 or 3 cups per day
- 16% lower for those drinking 4 or 5 cups per day
- 15% lower for those drinking 6 or more cups per day
The findings were similar for men, though slightly less dramatic. Death rates were lower by 6% to 12% among coffee drinkers.
When researchers looked at specific causes of death, they found that coffee drinkers had lower rates of:
- Heart disease
- Lung disease
- Stroke
- Injuries and accidents
- Diabetes
- Infections
Cancer deaths were similar in frequency among those who did or did not drink coffee.
Observing a lower death rate among coffee drinkers does not prove that coffee itself is responsible. A study of this type cannot determine cause and effect. But because these results come from a large, well-designed analysis, I'd have to say it's possible that drinking coffee might help you live longer!
What Changes Can I Make Now?
I don't think this study should prompt a person who doesn't like coffee to start drinking it for their health. Coffee consumption can have side effects. Some people feel "hyper," sleep poorly or have heartburn if they drink coffee. And, as mentioned, this study cannot prove that coffee was even the reason that coffee drinkers died less often. The findings could have been due to a confounder that researchers didn't know about.
Still, this new study adds to the list of potential health benefits associated with coffee consumption. For example, prior studies have linked coffee consumption with lower risks of:
- Liver disease (including cirrhosis and liver cancer)
- Type 2 diabetes
- Gout
- Parkinson's disease
- Aggressive types of prostate cancer
It's worth noting that, as found in this study, any benefit from coffee can be more than offset by smoking. If you smoke, make a commitment to quitting. Some people can do it on their own. But if you can't, talk to your doctor about ways to quit. These may include lifestyle changes (such as trying to surround yourself with nonsmokers), medications (such as nicotine patches) or both.
What Can I Expect Looking to the Future?
This new study should offer some measure of reassurance to those who enjoy coffee regularly. But it could have a bigger impact on finding new topics for future research. If coffee really does lower death risk, understanding how and why could lead to powerful new preventive and treatment options. The researchers who performed this study suggest that anti-oxidants in coffee (called polyphenols) might be responsible. Only additional research will help us learn if that's true.
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