Day: April 5, 2022

Our Key Takeaways

• Alternative sweeteners can replace sugar in sweetened beverages to produce a healthier substitute for those with obesity and diabetes.
• Low- or no-calorie sweetened beverages (LNCSB) were linked to minor weight and cardiometabolic risk factor reductions.
• Unfortunately, drinking two or more LNCSB a day is linked to an increase in clot-based strokes, heart attacks, and early death (in women over 50).
• Intaking water is still deemed best by experts as an alternative for drinking sweetened beverages to maintain one’s health.

This article is a repost which originally appeared on edition.cnn.com
Madeline Holcombe, CNN - March 14, 2022
Edited for content and readability - Images sourced from Pexels

(CNN) – In our soda, tea, coffee and juice: We like to drink sugar.

Americans eat about 60 pounds (27 kilograms) of sugar annually on average — and almost half of that comes from drinks, according to the American Heart Association.

For people who are at risk for or have diabetes, drinks sweetened without sugar may help, according to a study published Monday.

In a meta-analysis published in JAMA Network Open, researchers found replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with low- or no-calorie sweetened beverages (called “LNCSB” by nutrition professionals) was associated with small reductions in weight and cardiometabolic risk factors, the study said.

“Universally, everyone is recommending a reduction of sugar,” said senior study author Dr. John Sievenpiper. “Now the next question is: What’s the best way to replace it?

“Some beverages will give you that intended benefit and in a way that’s similar to what you would expect from water,” said Sievenpiper, consultant physician at St. Michael’s Hospital and associate professor in the department of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto.The study was set up well and adds evidence “that in the moderate term LNCSBs are a viable alternative to water for those with overweight or obesity,” but more evidence is needed to know the long-term impact, said Julie Grim, director of nutrition for the American Diabetes Association, via email. Grim was not involved in the study.

The goal is still to drink water as often as possible, Sievenpiper said, but the results may be good news for people looking to manage weight or diabetes risk. “You know that you’ve got a choice, and I think that’s important for a lot of people that they have that,” he added.

The debate

This study may pose a positive outlook for beverage choices for people with weight and diabetes concerns, but there has been a long debate over alternative sweeteners and overall health. Drinking two or more of any kind of artificially sweetened drinks a day is linked to an increased risk of clot-based strokes, heart attacks and early death in women over 50, a 2019 study found. Another study the next year found diet soda may be just as bad for your heart as the regular, sugary stuff.

That’s despite the fact that artificial sweeteners have been deemed safe by regulatory bodies, said Danielle Smotkin, a spokesperson for the American Beverage Association, a US trade association representing the nonalcoholic beverage industry. This recent study did not identify increased risk factors, but it couldn’t account for long-term impacts and was not able to identify if one low- or no-calorie sweetened beverage was more effective than another, Grim said. Water is best, experts said, but it can be hard to go cold turkey on sweet drinks, CNN nutrition contributor and registered dietician Lisa Drayer said. “Cut back by one serving per day until you’re down to one drink per day,” Drayer told CNN in a prior interview. “Then aim for one every other day until you can phase out soft drinks entirely.”

She recommended sparkling water, infusing fruit and a two-week no sugar challenge to help curb cravings. Your taste buds will adjust to find “natural foods with sugar more satisfying,” she said.

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This article is a repost which originally appeared on edition.cnn.com
Tasnim Ahmed, CNN - March 28, 2022
Edited for content and readability - Images sourced from Pexels
Source: DOI: acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M21-4389

Our Key Takeaways

• There are currently no US Food and Drug Administration warnings against the use of men planning to have children.
• Men who took metformin before or after the three-month maturation period did not have an increased risk of having a baby with birth defects.
• Genital birth defects, seen only in male babies, was the only birth defect in the study that was found to be associated with a statistically significant increased risk after paternal metformin use.

(CNN) Metformin use by men in the three-month period before they conceived a child was linked to a 40% higher risk of birth defects in the offspring, according to a study published Monday in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. Metformin is a first-line drug in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The research, which was done out of Denmark, used national registries to follow over 1 million births between 1997 and 2016 and compared the risk of major birth defects in babies based on paternal exposures to diabetes medications. The study observed only children who were born to women under 35 and men under 40. Babies born to women with diabetes were excluded.

The researchers considered men exposed to metformin if they filled a prescription for it in the three months before conception, which is how long it takes the fertilizing sperm to fully mature.

According to the study, the frequency of birth defects in babies born to men who had a type 2 diabetes diagnosis but who were not taking metformin was 3.1% (1,594 children), but the frequency was 4.6% (788) in children with paternal exposure to metformin during the preconception period. Genital birth defects, seen only in male babies, was the only birth defect in the study that was found to be associated with a statistically significant increased risk after paternal metformin use. Men who took metformin before or after the three-month maturation period did not have an increased risk of having a baby with birth defects. Similarly, the babies’ unexposed siblings were not affected.

Because previous research has shown that diabetes can compromise sperm quality and impair male fertility, the researchers also compared the rates of birth defects in the babies of men who took insulin to those who took metformin in order to ensure that a diabetes diagnosis itself was not a contributing factor. They found that insulin use was not associated with a change in the birth defect rate. The researchers did not find any significant association between birth defects and paternal exposure to diabetes medication other than metformin. However, the authors note that they did not have data on other aspects of diabetes, such as glycemic control or medication compliance, as they assessed data only on when prescriptions were filled. In addition, babies who had paternal metformin exposure also tended to have parents who were older and of a lower socioeconomic status, which may play a role. In an editorial published alongside the study, Germain Buck Louis, a reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist at George Mason University who was not involved in the research, said there is evidence from past studies to suggest that “altered testosterone levels may be an underlying mechanism raising concern about the antiandrogenic activity of oral diabetes pharmacologic agents, including metformin” to explain these findings.

Louis also noted that due to the limitations of this study, further research is needed to find out whether men taking metformin should make any considerations, especially given the high prevalence of diabetes that may require metformin use.

There are currently no US Food and Drug Administration warnings against the use of metformin by men planning to have children. “Clinical guidance is needed to help couples planning pregnancy weigh the risks and benefits of paternal metformin use relative to other medications,” Louis wrote.

This article is a repost which originally appeared on https://www.eatthis.com
Hether Newgen
 - March 29, 2022
Edited for content and readability - Images sourced from Pexel

Our Key Takeaways

• It is critical for adults to have their blood pressure checked regularly.
• Other reasons for having high blood pressure is one’s diet.
• It is important to have regular headaches and chest pains checked-up because this could be a potential reason for having hypertension.

An average of 116 million Americans live with high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, a condition that puts you at risk for stroke and heart disease which are leading causes of death according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Dr. Jagdish Khubchandani, MBBS, Ph.D., a professor of public health at New Mexico State University tells Eat This, Not That! Health, “Nearly half of the U.S. adults have hypertension, but less than a quarter of the individuals diagnosed with hypertension have it under control.  So, it is not surprising that hypertension is a major or contributing cause for more than half a million deaths every year.” The widespread problem is a major concern and Dr. Khubchandani explains signs to watch out for and how to prevent hypertension. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.

1. What is Hypertension?

According to the World Health Organization, “Blood pressure is the force exerted by circulating blood against the walls of the body’s arteries, the major blood vessels in the body. Hypertension is when blood pressure is too high. Blood pressure is written as two numbers. The first (systolic) number represents the pressure in blood vessels when the heart contracts or beats. The second (diastolic) number represents the pressure in the vessels when the heart rests between beats. Hypertension is diagnosed if, when it is measured on two different days, the systolic blood pressure readings on both days is ≥140 mmHg and/or the diastolic blood pressure readings on both days is ≥90 mmHg.”

2. Headaches

Dr. Khubchandani shares, “Due to very high blood pressures that are a part of hypertensive crises and should be considered a medical emergency. It should be noted that headache is an inconsistent and inconclusive symptom, the best way to know about hypertension is to check for blood pressure.”

3. Chest Pain

Dr. Khubchandani says, “Chest pain is another pain symptom that may occur with or without headache during hypertensive crisis. However, in most people with hypertension, this is not a commonly observed symptom. Chest pain could only be with extremely high blood pressures especially with heart attacks or coronary artery disease.”

4. Other Signs to Watch Out For

“Other nonspecific symptoms that may occur during a hypertensive crises or infrequently with hypertension are fatigue, difficulty breathing, tiredness, vision problems, or confusion,” says Dr. Khubchandani.

5. Get Your Blood Pressure Checked Regularly

Dr. Khubchandani explains, “Unfortunately, many people may not have any symptoms of hypertension or might not even know that they have hypertension. The American Heart Association labels the disease as largely symptomless and a ‘silent killer’. Therefore, it is critical for adults to have their blood pressure checked regularly or find devices in public settings (e.g. pharmacy shops, grocery stores, etc) to quickly screen their blood pressure.” 

6. Hypertension Can Cause Serious Health Issues

According to Dr. Khubchandani. “If hypertension is severe, some symptoms may appear in individuals. However, one should not wait for or anticipate these symptoms as they are a part of a hypertensive crisis (a medical emergency) that may be followed by stroke, heart attack, acute kidney failure, or other severe outcomes.”

7. Lifestyle Choices Increase the Risk of Hypertension

Dr. Khubchandani shares, “The risk factors for hypertension need to be kept in mind by all that include, but are not limited to, older age, being overweight, heavy alcohol or tobacco use, eating a high salt diet or having sedentary lifestyles with high stress.”

8. Blood Pressure and Pregnancy

Dr. Khubchandani. emphasizes, “Blood pressure should also be carefully monitored during pregnancy as hypertension complicates nearly a tenth of all pregnancies or occurs during more than a tenth of all pregnancies.  Hypertension can affect pregnancy because of preexisting high blood pressure (chronic hypertension), hypertension during the latter part of pregnancy (gestational hypertension or preeclampsia), or chronic hypertension with superimposed gestational hypertension (the risk of hypertension increasing due to risk of pre-existing hypertension). While the symptoms of pregnancy related hypertension are non-specific similar to hypertension in the general public, regular checkups are the key to ensuring healthy babies and reduced maternal death and complications.”

9. Secondary Hypertension

Dr. Khubchandani reveals, “Sometimes, hypertension is due to an underlying disease condition (known as secondary hypertension). A wide variety of diseases can cause elevated blood pressure such as kidney disease, tumors of adrenal glands, thyroid or parathyroid gland diseases, obstructive sleep apnea, congenital heart disorders, and the use of cough and cold medications, antidepressants, certain birth control pills, some diet supplements, or illegal drugs (e.g. cocaine or meth). Some key features of secondary hypertension are that it can occur in younger individuals, there may not be a family history of high blood pressure, the hypertension is resistant to traditional treatments, can be accompanied with changes in body weight, there are signs and symptoms of other diseases, and laboratory tests may show abnormal levels of markers such as sodium, calcium, potassium, creatinine, thyroid hormones, or blood urea nitrogen (BUN).”

10. How to Help Prevent Hypertension

Dr. Khubchandani reminds us that, “Regular checkups and screening remain key in diagnosing and managing hypertension. Certain lifestyle changes can also reduce the risk of hypertension or help manage hypertension. These lifestyle changes include increasing exercise and physical activity, eating less salt and more fruits and vegetables, managing stress and body weight, maintaining sleep hygiene and daily routines,  and avoiding alcohol, tobacco, or drug use.”

This article is a repost which originally appeared on https://www.sciencealert.com
Yue Leng, The Conversation - March 26, 2022
Edited for content and readability - Images sourced from Pexels
Source: DOI: doi/10.1002/alz.12636

Our Key Takeaways

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Doctors often recommend “power naps” as a way to compensate for a poor night’s sleep and help keep alert until bedtime. But for older adults, extensive power naps could be an early sign of dementia.

Research on how napping affects cognition in adults has had mixed results. Some studies on younger adults suggest that napping is beneficial to cognition, while others on older adults suggest it may be linked to cognitive impairment. However, many studies are based on just a single self-reported nap assessment.

This methodology may not be accurate for people with cognitive impairment who may not be able to reliably report when or how long they napped.

As an epidemiologist who studies sleep and neurodegeneration in older adults, I wanted to find out if changes in napping habits foreshadow other signs of cognitive decline.

A study my colleagues and I recently published found that while napping does increase with age, excessive napping may foreshadow cognitive decline.

The link between daytime napping and dementia

Sleep disturbance and daytime napping are known symptoms of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia in older adults. They often become more extreme as the disease progresses: Patients are increasingly less likely to fall asleep and more likely to wake up during the night and feel sleepy during the day.

To examine this link between daytime napping and dementia, my colleagues and I studied a group of 1,401 older adults with an average age of 81 participating in the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a longitudinal study examining cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.

The participants wore a watchlike device that tracked their mobility for 14 years. Prolonged periods of inactivity were interpreted as naps.

At the start of the study, approximately 75 percent of participants did not have any cognitive impairment. Of the remaining participants, 4 percent had Alzheimer’s and 20 percent had mild cognitive impairment, a frequent precursor to dementia.

While daily napping increased among all participants over the years, there were differences in napping habits between those who developed Alzheimer’s by the end of the study and those who did not.

Participants who did not develop cognitive impairment had nap durations that averaged 11 extra minutes per year. This rate doubled after a mild cognitive impairment diagnosis, with naps increasing to 25 extra minutes per year, and tripled after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, with nap durations increasing to 68 extra minutes per year.

Ultimately, we found that older adults who napped at least once or for more than an hour a day had a 40 percent higher chance of developing Alzheimer’s than those who did not nap daily or napped less than an hour a day.

These findings were unchanged even after we controlled for factors like daily activities, illness, and medications.

Napping and the Alzheimer’s brain

Our study shows that longer naps are a normal part of aging, but only to a certain extent.

Research from my colleagues at the University of California, San Francisco, offers a potential mechanism for why people with dementia have more frequent and longer naps.

By comparing the post-mortem brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease with the brains of people without cognitive impairment, they found that those with Alzheimer’s had fewer neurons that promote wakefulness in three brain regions.

These neuronal changes appeared to be linked to tau tangles, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s in which the protein that helps stabilize healthy neurons form clumps that hamper communication between neurons.

While our study does not show that increased daytime napping causes cognitive decline, it does point to extended naps as a potential signal for accelerated aging. Further research might be able to determine whether monitoring daytime napping could help detect cognitive decline.

This article is a repost which originally appeared on https://www.sciencealert.com
David Nield - March 27, 2022
Edited for content and readability - Images sourced from Pexels
Source: DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.3236

Our Key Takeaways

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The next time you’re not able to get out to the gym, maybe spin some records instead: new research suggests the positive impact on mental health from singing, playing, or listening to music is around the same impact experienced with exercise or weight loss.

That’s based on a meta-analysis covering 26 previous studies and a total of 779 people. The earlier research covered everything from using gospel music as a preventative measure against heart disease to how joining a choir can help people recovering from cancer.

A growing number of studies are finding links between music and wellbeing. However, the level of the potential boost and exactly why it works are areas that scientists are still looking into – and that’s where this particular piece of research can be helpful.

“Increasing evidence supports the ability of music to broadly promote wellbeing and health-related quality of life (HRQOL),” write the researchers in their published paper.

“However, the magnitude of music’s positive association with HRQOL is still unclear, particularly relative to established interventions, limiting inclusion of music interventions in health policy and care.”

All of the 26 studies included in the new research used the widely adopted and well regarded 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) on physical and mental health, or the shorter alternative with 12 questions (SF-12), making it easier to collate and synthesize the data.

The results of the studies were then compared against other research looking at the benefits of “non-pharmaceutical and medical interventions (e.g., exercise, weight loss)” on wellbeing and against research where medical treatments for health issues didn’t include a music therapy component.

According to the study authors, the mental health boost from music is “within the range, albeit on the low end” of the same sort of impact seen in people who commit to physical exercise or weight loss programs.

“This meta-analysis of 26 studies of music interventions provided clear and quantitative moderate-quality evidence that music interventions are associated with clinically significant changes in mental HRQOL,” write the researchers.

“Additionally, a subset of 8 studies demonstrated that adding music interventions to usual treatment was associated with clinically significant changes to mental HRQOL in a range of conditions.”

At the same time, the researchers point out that there was substantial variation between individuals in the studies regarding how well the various musical interventions worked – even if the overall picture was a positive one. This isn’t necessarily something that’s going to work for everyone.

The researchers hope that studies such as this one will encourage health professionals to prescribe some kind of music therapy more often when it comes to helping patients recover from illness or maintain good mental health.

For many of us, listening to music or singing are pleasurable activities and perhaps wouldn’t feel as challenging as getting out for exercise or sticking to a diet – further reasons why they could be helpful as forms of therapy.

“Future research is needed to clarify optimal music interventions and doses for use in specific clinical and public health scenarios,” write the researchers.

The research has been published in JAMA Network Open.

This article is a repost which originally appeared on https://www.sciencealert.com
David Nield - March 27, 2022
Edited for content and readability - Images sourced from Pexels
Source: DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.3236

Our Key Takeaways

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The next time you’re not able to get out to the gym, maybe spin some records instead: new research suggests the positive impact on mental health from singing, playing, or listening to music is around the same impact experienced with exercise or weight loss.

That’s based on a meta-analysis covering 26 previous studies and a total of 779 people. The earlier research covered everything from using gospel music as a preventative measure against heart disease to how joining a choir can help people recovering from cancer.

A growing number of studies are finding links between music and wellbeing. However, the level of the potential boost and exactly why it works are areas that scientists are still looking into – and that’s where this particular piece of research can be helpful.

“Increasing evidence supports the ability of music to broadly promote wellbeing and health-related quality of life (HRQOL),” write the researchers in their published paper.

“However, the magnitude of music’s positive association with HRQOL is still unclear, particularly relative to established interventions, limiting inclusion of music interventions in health policy and care.”

All of the 26 studies included in the new research used the widely adopted and well regarded 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) on physical and mental health, or the shorter alternative with 12 questions (SF-12), making it easier to collate and synthesize the data.

The results of the studies were then compared against other research looking at the benefits of “non-pharmaceutical and medical interventions (e.g., exercise, weight loss)” on wellbeing and against research where medical treatments for health issues didn’t include a music therapy component.

According to the study authors, the mental health boost from music is “within the range, albeit on the low end” of the same sort of impact seen in people who commit to physical exercise or weight loss programs.

“This meta-analysis of 26 studies of music interventions provided clear and quantitative moderate-quality evidence that music interventions are associated with clinically significant changes in mental HRQOL,” write the researchers.

“Additionally, a subset of 8 studies demonstrated that adding music interventions to usual treatment was associated with clinically significant changes to mental HRQOL in a range of conditions.”

At the same time, the researchers point out that there was substantial variation between individuals in the studies regarding how well the various musical interventions worked – even if the overall picture was a positive one. This isn’t necessarily something that’s going to work for everyone.

The researchers hope that studies such as this one will encourage health professionals to prescribe some kind of music therapy more often when it comes to helping patients recover from illness or maintain good mental health.

For many of us, listening to music or singing are pleasurable activities and perhaps wouldn’t feel as challenging as getting out for exercise or sticking to a diet – further reasons why they could be helpful as forms of therapy.

“Future research is needed to clarify optimal music interventions and doses for use in specific clinical and public health scenarios,” write the researchers.

The research has been published in JAMA Network Open.

This article is a repost which originally appeared on https://www.sciencedaily.com
American College of Cardiology - March 24, 2022
Edited for content and readability - Images sourced from Pexels
Source: acc.org

Drinking coffee — particularly two to three cups a day — is not only associated with a lower risk of heart disease and dangerous heart rhythms but also with living longer, according to studies being presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 71^st Annual Scientific Session. These trends held true for both people with and without cardiovascular disease. Researchers said the analyses — the largest to look at coffee’s potential role in heart disease and death — provide reassurance that coffee isn’t tied to new or worsening heart disease and may actually be heart protective.

“Because coffee can quicken heart rate, some people worry that drinking it could trigger or worsen certain heart issues. This is where general medical advice to stop drinking coffee may come from. But our data suggest that daily coffee intake shouldn’t be discouraged, but rather included as a part of a healthy diet for people with and without heart disease,” said Peter M. Kistler, MD, professor and head of arrhythmia research at the Alfred Hospital and Baker Heart Institute in Melbourne, Australia, and the study’s senior author. “We found coffee drinking had either a neutral effect — meaning that it did no harm — or was associated with benefits to heart health.”

Kistler and his team used data from the UK BioBank, a large-scale prospective database with health information from over half a million people who were followed for at least 10 years. Researchers looked at varying levels of coffee consumption ranging from up to a cup to more than six cups a day and the relationship with heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias); cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke; and total and heart-related deaths among people both with and without cardiovascular disease. Patients were grouped by how much coffee they reported drinking each day: 0, <1, 1, 2-3, 4-5, >5 cups/day. Coffee drinking was assessed from questionnaires completed upon entry into the registry. Overall, they either found no effect or, in many cases, significant reductions in cardiovascular risk after controlling for exercise, alcohol, smoking, diabetes and high blood pressure that could also play a role in heart health and longevity.

For the first study, researchers examined data from 382,535 individuals without known heart disease to see whether coffee drinking played a role in the development of heart disease or stroke during the 10 years of follow up. Participants’ average age was 57 years and half were women. In general, having two to three cups of coffee a day was associated with the greatest benefit, translating to a 10%-15% lower risk of developing coronary heart disease, heart failure, a heart rhythm problem, or dying for any reason. The risk of stroke or heart-related death was lowest among people who drank one cup of coffee a day. Researchers did observe a U-shaped relationship with coffee intake and new heart rhythm problems. The maximum benefit was seen among people drinking two to three cups of coffee a day with less benefit seen among those drinking more or less.

The second study included 34,279 individuals who had some form of cardiovascular disease at baseline. Coffee intake at two to three cups a day was associated with lower odds of dying compared with having no coffee. Importantly, consuming any amount of coffee was not associated with a higher risk of heart rhythm problems, including atrial fibrillation (AFib) or atrial flutter, which Kistler said is often what clinicians are concerned about. Of the 24,111 people included in the analysis who had an arrhythmia at baseline, drinking coffee was associated with a lower risk of death. For example, people with AFib who drank one cup of coffee a day were nearly 20% less likely to die than non-coffee drinkers.

“Clinicians generally have some apprehension about people with known cardiovascular disease or arrhythmias continuing to drink coffee, so they often err on the side of caution and advise them to stop drinking it altogether due to fears that it may trigger dangerous heart rhythms,” Kistler said. “But our study shows that regular coffee intake is safe and could be part of a healthy diet for people with heart disease.”

Although two to three cups of coffee a day seemed to be the most favorable overall, Kistler said that people shouldn’t increase their coffee intake, particularly if it makes them feel anxious or uncomfortable.

“There is a whole range of mechanisms through which coffee may reduce mortality and have these favorable effects on cardiovascular disease,” he said. “Coffee drinkers should feel reassured that they can continue to enjoy coffee even if they have heart disease. Coffee is the most common cognitive enhancer — it wakes you up, makes you mentally sharper and it’s a very important component of many people’s daily lives.”

So how might coffee beans benefit the heart? People often equate coffee with caffeine, but coffee beans actually have over 100 biologically active compounds. These substances can help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity, boost metabolism, inhibit the gut’s absorption of fat and block receptors known to be involved with abnormal heart rhythms, Kistler said.

In a third study, researchers looked at whether there were any differences in the relationship between coffee and cardiovascular disease depending on whether someone drank instant or ground coffee or caffeinated or decaf. They found, once again, two to three cups a day to be associated with the lowest risk of arrhythmias, blockages in the heart’s arteries, stroke or heart failure regardless of whether they had ground or instant coffee. Lower rates of death were seen across all coffee types. Decaf coffee did not have favorable effects against incident arrhythmia but did reduce cardiovascular disease, with the exception of heart failure. Kistler said the findings suggest caffeinated coffee is preferable across the board, and there are no cardiovascular benefits to choosing decaf over caffeinated coffees.

There are several important limitations to these studies. Researchers were unable to control for dietary factors that may play a role in cardiovascular disease, nor were they able to adjust for any creamers, milk or sugar consumed. Participants were predominantly white, so additional studies are needed to determine whether these findings extend to other populations. Finally, coffee intake was based on self-report via a questionnaire fielded at study entry. This should be considered when interpreting the study findings, though Kistler noted that research suggests people’s dietary habits don’t change much in adulthood or over time. Kistler said the results should be validated in randomized trials.

The study, “Effects of Habitual Coffee Consumption on Incident Cardiovascular Disease, Arrhythmia, and Mortality: Findings from UK BioBank,” will be presented on Sunday, April 3.

The second related study, “Regular Coffee Intake is Associated with Improved Mortality in Prevalent Cardiovascular Disease,” will be presented virtually on Saturday, April 2.

The third related study, “Ground, Instant, or Decaffeinated Coffee? Impact of Different Coffee Subtypes on Incident Arrhythmia, Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality,” will be presented on Sunday, April 3.