Coffee, Alcohol and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease among Japanese Men Living in Hawaii

TLDR

The study investigated how coffee and alcohol consumption affect coronary heart disease risk over six years in 7,705 Japanese men in Hawaii. Using data from 294 incident CHD cases, the authors examined coffee and alcohol intake patterns and explored the role of alcohol‑induced changes in alpha‑ and beta‑cholesterol levels as a potential mechanism. Coffee intake was initially linked to higher CHD risk, but the association disappeared after adjusting for smoking, whereas moderate alcohol consumption (≤60 ml/day, mainly beer) was strongly and independently associated with lower risk of nonfatal myocardial infarction and CHD death.

Abstract

We examined the relation of coffee and alcohol consumption to the risk of coronary heart disease during a six-year period in a cohort of 7705 Japanese men living in Hawaii. The analysis was based on 294 new cases of coronary heart disease. There was a positive association between coffee intake and risk, but it became statistically insignificant when cigarette smoking was taken into account. There was a strong negative association between moderate alcohol consumption (up to 60 ml per day), mainly from beer, and the risk of nonfatal myocardial infarction and death from coronary heart disease. This association remained significant in multivariate analysis, taking into account smoking and other risk factors. The correlation of alcohol consumption with the level of alpha cholesterol (positive) and beta cholesterol (negative) may partly account for the observed negative association between alcohol and coronary heart disease.