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Coffee helps some heart patients
A couple of cups of coffee a day may help some heart attack patients to avoid further serious problems, provided they have normal blood pressure, a new study has suggested.
A study of 374 patients who had a heart attack or other acute coronary event found that those who had normal blood pressure and drank one or two coffees a day were 88% less likely than non-coffee drinkers to develop a condition called left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD), a common precursor of heart failure. The protective effect, however, was not seen in patients with high blood pressure, where coffee drinking was actually associated with an increased likelihood of developing LVSD.
“Coffee contains several biologically active compounds, which may have either beneficial or harmful effects on the cardiovascular system," says investigator Christina-Maria Kastorini. On the plus side, it is a rich source of chlorogenic acid and antioxidants, which are thought to be protective, but in people with hypertension its bad effect on blood pressure appears to cancel this out.
Reuters
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