Scientists from Kurume University report that drinking more coffee may reduce the risk of death associated with an elevated resting heart rate.
Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that occur together and significantly increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
These conditions include high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, excess abdominal fat, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels.
People with metabolic syndrome are known to have a higher resting heart rate. For adults, a normal resting heart rate typically ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. In general, a lower resting heart rate indicates more efficient heart function and better cardiovascular fitness. For example, well-trained athletes often have resting heart rates close to 40 beats per minute.
Previous research has shown that a higher resting heart rate is strongly associated with increased risk of death. Other studies have also linked coffee consumption to a lower risk of metabolic syndrome.
In the current study, researchers proposed that drinking more coffee might reduce overall mortality risk by lowering resting heart rate.
The team analyzed data from 1,920 residents aged 40 and older who underwent health checkups in 1999. Participants were assessed for metabolic syndrome symptoms, and their dietary and beverage intake was evaluated using a food frequency questionnaire. The researchers then followed the participants annually for 15 years.
During the follow-up period, 343 participants died. Among these deaths, 102 were due to cancer, 48 to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and 44 to infectious diseases.
The researchers found that higher coffee consumption was associated with a lower resting heart rate. People who drank more coffee also had a lower risk of death.
In contrast, participants who drank less coffee had a higher mortality risk, which was linked to their higher resting heart rate. Notably, resting heart rate was not associated with mortality among those who consumed more coffee.
These findings suggest that coffee consumption may help reduce the risk of death partly by lowering resting heart rate.
The study was conducted by Yume Nohara-Shitama and colleagues and published in the journal Heart and Vessels.
