By Larry Husten

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Jaye Elizabeth Hefner, MD

People who drink moderate amounts of coffee might be less likely to have atherosclerosis, a Heart study suggests.

In a sample of more than 25,000 people in South Korea without known cardiovascular disease, researchers examined the relationship between coffee consumption and the coronary artery calcium score as measured by a multidetector CT scan. Coffee drinkers were less likely to have calcium in their coronary arteries than nondrinkers. The relationship was U-shaped, with the lowest levels occurring in people who drank 3 or 4 cups daily.

Despite the positive findings, study author Eliseo Gualiar said in an email that he was “concerned that the role of coffee in preventing cardiovascular disease is exaggerated. Our study was an observational association study that by itself cannot prove causation.” Moderate coffee drinkers, he said, “should not be concerned that coffee is increasing their risk of cardiovascular disease. On the other hand, we believe that at this point we should still not recommend drinking coffee for preventing cardiovascular disease.”