Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Coffee, the Heart, and Starbucks....

OMG, just saw this story on "rapid" and "slow" metabolizers of caffeine and the variable effects coffee might have on the heart. (I'm sure I'm a rapid metabolizer....). Wonder if that's why Starbucks coffee stock (SBUX) took a 1.5% dip today.... Good to know that prior, LARGE studies demonstrated no additonal cardiovascular effects to caffeine. A study of nearly fifty thousand male health professionals showed no increase of cardiovascular disease due to coffee-drinking [THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE 323:1026-1032 (1990)] -- a result in agreement with the Framingham Study [ARCHIVES OF INTERNAL MEDICINE 149:1169-1172 (1989)].

--Wes

3 comments:

Helen said...

Hi Dr. Wes,

A quick question on caffiene. My doctor has told me not to have any caffiene due to heart arrythymias (V-tach and V-fib)--I never drank much--just one cup in the morning--I have cut this out and am miserable. Can I ever have a cup of coffee again?

BTW--great podcast--thanks!

Anonymous said...

I'm amazed they were able to find enough people who don't drink coffee to make a study ;). Can't stand the stuff myself, but I'm always in the minority.

I too was told by my Dr. to avoid caffeine--I have an ICD.

DrWes said...

Helen and Shelby - Well this is one place where there HAS been a correlation between fast heart rhythms and caffeine. Most studies suggested causation after 8 cups of coffee, but if you have a ventricular arrhythmia, ANY caffeine might be too much. So stick with what your doctors are telling you on this one...

--Wes