Recent research has been greatly focused on the study of coffee and its effects on our health. It can be overwhelming and confusing to hear positive conclusions about consuming coffee after years of hearing nothing but negatives. The great thing about science is we are always learning more so don’t let it discourage you, just do the best you can with the information available at the time. Read the latest research on coffee’s effects in our arteries, reported in the Irish Medical Times online publication below.
People who drink a moderate amount of coffee daily are less likely to develop clogged arteries that could lead to heart attacks, reveals research published online in the journal Heart.
Researchers from South Korea found that those consuming three-to-five cups a day had the least risk of coronary calcium in their arteries.
An international team of researchers led by the Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Seoul, in the Republic of Korea, set out to examine the association between coffee consumption and the presence of coronary artery calcium (CAC), which is a early indicator of coronary atherosclerosis — a potentially serious condition where arteries become clogged up by fatty substances known as plaques or atheroma, and which can cause the arteries to harden and narrow, leading to blood clots that can trigger a heart attack or a stroke.
They studied a group of 25,138 men and women — average age of 41 — who had no signs of heart disease, attending a health screening examination.
The participants’ screening examination included a validated food frequency questionnaire and a multidetector cardiac CT (computed tomography) for diagnostic imaging to determine levels of CAC scores. Annual or biennial health screening examinations are common in Korea, because health examinations are mandatory for all workers and CAC scoring has become a common heart disease screening test.
SRC: Read this report’s results at: www.imt.ie/clinical/2015/03/coffee-can-lessen-risk-clogged-arteries.html