Coffee intake has previously been linked to a reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. According to a study that will appear in the March 3, 2009 print issue of the journal Circulation, long-term intake of 4 or more cups of coffee every day may reduce the risk of stroke in non-smoking women

Coffee intake has previously been linked to a reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. According to a study that will appear in the March 3, 2009 print issue of the journal Circulation, long-term intake of 4 or more cups of coffee every day may reduce the risk of stroke in non-smoking women .

Investigators from the Harvard School of Public Health and their colleagues analyzed data from 83,076 women who participated in the Nurses' Health Study and had no history of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, or cancer at the time of study enrollment. Coffee consumption was assessed at baseline and then repeated every 2 to 4 years until 2004. In this 24-year period, 2280 strokes occurred. After performing statistical analyses, the investigators found that long-term coffee intake was not associated with an increased risk of stroke in women. In contrast, their analysis suggested that higher consumption of coffee might modestly reduce stroke risk, but only in women who were not currently smoking.

The researchers did not find this same association with other caffeinated drinks, such as soda or tea, suggesting that there is something in coffee other than caffeine that may lower the risk of stroke.

Source

Circulation. Published online February 16, 2009.