Drinking coffee and the increase risk of having a heart attack has been under debate for a long time.  Some researchers say the risk lies within your genes, and one particular variation in a gene can slow metabolism of caffeine and increase the risk of heart attack.

Coffee is the most commonly stimulant used around the world by millions of people every day.  If researchers could determine for a fact it is harmful physicians would be able to identify patients most at risk of heart disease and give advice against coffee drinking.  Further is that no one knows exactly what chemical in coffee could be involved in the increased risk of heart disease.  It is an issue widely debated.  Caffeine is probably the chemical most thought of as the culprit.  Whether or not caffeine works alone to cause the risk or when combined with other chemicals or other factors is also unknown.  Research about whether or not coffee increases the risk of having a heart attack continues to be very important.

Research has revealed:

·         Caffeine is metabolized mainly in the liver through the action of a particular enzyme called cytochrome P450 1A2.

·         There are variations in the gene that causes cells to make this enzyme

·         Some variations can speed caffeine’s metabolism and others can slow it

A case control study involving 2014 people was done by researchers from Harvard School of Public Health, the University of Costa Rica and the University of Toronto.  When the case control study was complete, researchers had all groups of people in the study fill out a questionnaire about the kinds of food they ate and the beverages they drank.  The questionnaire provided researchers with information about how much coffee with caffeine people in each group drank.  Information from the questionnaire and the case control study (which required a blood test of participants) enabled researchers to determine whether coffee drinking and the gene variation were associated with an increased risk of having a heart attack.

Researchers of this study found the risk of heart attack may be increased in coffee drinkers who have a gene variation that causes slow caffeine metabolism.

The study suggested a “role” for caffeine in association between coffee drinking and heart attack in some individuals.  More research is needed to prove definitely that the caffeine in coffee causes heart attack in the group of people with a genetic variation.

Source:  American Heart Association

Disclaimer:  This article is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any kind of a health problem.  These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  Always consult with your health care provider about any kind of a health problem and especially before beginning any kind of an exercise routine.