NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – In men with diabetes, coffee consumption does not increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases or all-cause morality, according to a brief report in the June issue of Diabetes Care.

Prior research has tied coffee use to both beneficial and harmful effects, senior author Dr. Rob M. van Dam, from Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, and colleagues note. Although research in the general population has suggested no harmful cardiovascular effects from coffee, data from diabetic groups has been lacking. Recently, however, there has been evidence suggesting that consumption of coffee may impair glucose tolerance in diabetics.

The current investigation involved 3497 diabetic men who were enrolled in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and who did not have cardiovascular disease at baseline. The subjects completed several dietary questionnaires during follow-up from 1986 to 2004.

Consumption of coffee, even 4 or more cups per day, did not significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (odds ratio, 0.88) or all-cause mortality (odds ratio, 0.80), compared with non-coffee drinkers. The same held true after the subjects were stratified by smoking status and by duration of diabetes.

The authors also found no association with total caffeine intake or with consumption of decaffeinated coffee.

“Our findings do not support the hypothesis that habitual caffeinated coffee consumption increases risk of cardiovascular events or mortality among individuals with type 2 diabetes,” the authors conclude.

Reference:
Diabetes Care 2009;32:1043-1045.