Coffee May Help Heart Attack Victims
As an avid coffee drinker, I love it when research comes out
to support my habit... I mean, my
passion.
New research suggests that a couple of cups of coffee a
day may help some heart attack patients to avoid further
serious problems, as long as they have normal blood
pressure.
This is surprising because strong coffee can cause
palpitations, but it underlines the complex nature of coffee's
effect on the body.
A study of 374 patients who had a heart attack or other
acute coronary event found those with normal blood pressure
drinking one or two coffees a day were 88 percent less likely
than non-coffee drinkers to develop a condition in which the
heart fails to pump blood effectively.
So-called left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) is a
common precursor of heart failure.
Bring that up at your hair salon!
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, according to one of the
investigators.
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.
So, what will it be: regular, decaf, a cappucino?
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