Coffee linked with lowered risk of chirrhosis

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A study shows that drinking coffee protected people who drink alcohol from developing liver disease.
Long-term heavy alcohol usage is a key factor in cirrhosis of the liver, a form of damage where healthy tissue is replaced with scar tissue. Hepatitis C infection is another major cause.

Now researchers in the US report on a link between coffee consumption and cirrhosis. They looked at data from 125,580 individuals who did not have cirrhosis at the start of the study, between 1978 and 1985. By the end of 2001, 330 participants had been diagnosed with cirrhosis – of whom 199 had alcoholic cirrhosis. But those who drank coffee were less likely to develop cirrhosis. Indeed, for every cup, they were 22 per cent less likely to develop the condition. In short, those who drank both coffee and alcohol had a reduced risk of cirrhosis compared to those who drank alcohol but not coffee. It is not very clear why this link arises – it does not seem related to caffeine, for tea drinkers did not have a reduced risk of liver disease. Advising heavy drinkers to drink coffee to reduce cirrhosis risk wouldn’t be advisable – they would derive more benefit from reducing.

Source
Archives of Internal Medicine 12th June 2006 Volume 166 pages 1190-1195

Please take a moment to give us your comments. For questions about Health matters you may check our "Questions & Answers" Portal and Service.