ABSTRACT

Background and aims:  
Evidence has been provided that in the normotensive population chronic coffee consumption does not adversely affect cardiovascular and total mortality. Whether and to what extent this is the case also in high risk cardiovascular patients such as those with elevated blood pressure (BP) is largely debated.

Methods and results:
We analyzed data collected in 943 hypertensive patients belonging to the Pressioni Arteriose Monitorate E Loro Associazioni (PAMELA) study, which were classified as coffee consumers and non-consumers (self report). Cardiovascular and total mortality were evaluated at the 25 year follow-up taking into account a number of variables including office and 24-hour ambulatory BP. When data were analyzed as unadjusted values no significant difference in hazard ratios for cardiovascular and total mortality was detected in coffee consumers and non-consumers considering office (0.85 and 0.83 respectively, P=NS) or 24-hour (1.08 vs 0.80 respectively, P=NS) BP. This was the case also when the data were adjusted for confounders (age, sex, BP, lipid profile, plasma glucose and cholesterol levels, renal function, previous cardiovascular events) or when analyzed according to presence or absence of antihypertensive treatment.

Conclusions:
Thus in mild-to-moderate hypertensive patients chronic coffee consumption does not exert deleterious long-term effects on cardiovascular and total mortality. This is the case in both genders and in treated and untreated hypertensive patients.

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