That morning cup of coffee may be enough to trigger a first-time heart attack in vulnerable people, a study suggests. Researchers found that among middle-aged and older adults, light to moderate coffee drinkers had an elevated risk of heart attack in the hour after having a cup of coffee.
This was particularly the case when a coffee drinker got little regular exercise or had three or more risk factors for heart disease-such as diabetes, high blood pressure and smoking, private news channel reported. On the other hand, there was no risk of having a heart attack among people who were heavy coffee drinkers, downing four or more cups per day. The difference, according to the researchers, may be that these coffee devotees build up a tolerance to the cardiovascular effects of caffeine.
The findings suggest that light or moderate coffee drinkers who are already at risk of heart attack should consider giving up the beverage, according to lead study author Dr Ana Baylin.