Study on coffee's cardiac risk is a puzzle

Denise Gellene and Jia-Rui Chong
Los Angeles Times
_____________
A study of 4,000 coffee drinkers has found that two or more cups each day can increase the risk of heart disease -- but only for those with a genetic mutation that slows the breakdown of caffeine in the body.
In diverse urban areas, the mutation is found in roughly half of all people. People without the mutation can drink as much coffee as they like with no added risk of a heart attack, the scientists said.Unfortunately, there is no commercial test for the mutation, which now puts coffee die-hards in a bit of a quandary.
______________________
See Also:
Caffeine metabolism tied to heart attacks
Coffee hazard linked to genes
_____________________
The findings, published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association, could explain why previous investigations into caffeine's effect on the heart have produced conflicting results. Some reports have tied coffee to an increase in heart disease, while others have found no effect.Ahmed El-Sohemy, a University of Toronto scientist involved in the study, said earlier reports failed to account for the genetic differences among people.
Mar 08, 2006