Moderate Coffee Consumption Is Associated with Lower Coronary Artery Calcium Scores

Coffee consumption is associated with better insulin sensitivity, lower risk for type 2 diabetes (NEJM JW Gen Med Feb 15 2004 and Ann Intern Med 2004; 140:1), and less LDL cholesterol oxidation, all of which are associated with lower risk for cardiovascular (CV) disease. In this cross-sectional study, researchers examined the association between coffee consumption and prevalence of coronary artery calcium (CAC) measured by computed tomography in 25,000 Korean adults (mean age, 41; 84% men) without clinically evident CV disease.

Mean coffee consumption was 1.8 cups daily, and 13% of participants had detectable CAC. Multivariate-adjusted CAC score ratios (the ratios of mean calcium scores in coffee drinkers to the mean score in noncoffee drink…