new research on coffee and heart risks

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What to know about new research on coffee and heart risks

FILE - A worker prepares a coffee drink at a shop in Overland Park, Kan., Thursday, Aug. 14, 2008. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, healthy volunteers who were asked to drink coffee or skip it on different days showed no signs of an increase in a certain type of heart rhythm after sipping the caffeinated drinks, although they did walk more and sleep less. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

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Coffee lovers — and their doctors — have long wondered whether a jolt of java can affect the heart. New research published Wednesday finds that drinking caffeinated coffee did not significantly affect one kind of heart hiccup that can feel like a skipped beat.

But it did signal a slight increase in another type of irregular heartbeat in people who drank more than one cup per day. And it found that people tend to walk more and sleep less on the days they drank coffee.

Coffee is one of the most common beverages in the world. In the U.S., two-thirds of Americans drink coffee every day, more than bottled water, tea or tap water, according to the National Coffee Association, a trade group. Coffee contains caffeine , a stimulant, which is widely regarded as safe for healthy adults at about 400 milligrams per day, or roughly the equivalent of four or five cups brewed at home.

Coffee has been associated with multiple health benefits and even a lower risk of dying, based on large studies that observed participants’ behavior. Despite research that has shown moderate coffee consumption doesn’t raise the risk of heart rhythm problems , some professional medical societies still caution against consuming caffeine.

The latest research:

THE EXPERIMENT

Researchers outfitted 100 healthy volunteers with gadgets that continuously monitored their heart function, daily steps, sleep patterns and blood sugar. The volunteers, who were mostly younger than 40, were sent daily text messages over two weeks instructing them to drink or avoid caffeinated coffee on certain days. The results were reported Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

This type of study, which directly measures the biological effects of drinking or not drinking caffeinated coffee in the same people, is rare and provides a dense array of data points, said study co-author Dr. Gregory Marcus, a cardiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, who specializes in treating heart arrhythmias.

THE FINDINGS

Researchers found that drinking caffeinated coffee did not result in more daily episodes of extra heartbeats, known as premature atrial contractions. These extra beats that begin in the heart’s upper chambers are common and typically don’t cause problems. But they have been shown to predict a potentially dangerous heart condition called atrial fibrillation.

They also found slight evidence of another kind of irregular heartbeat that comes from the lower heart chambers, called premature ventricular contractions. Such beats are also common and not usually serious, but they have been associated with a higher risk of heart failure. The researchers found more of these early beats in people on the days they drank coffee, but only in those who drank two or more cups per day.

The volunteers logged about 1,000 more steps per day on the days they drank coffee — and they slept about 36 minutes less, the study found. There was almost no difference in blood sugar levels.

One interesting result: People with genetic variants that make them break down caffeine faster experienced less of a sleep deficit, while folks with variants that lead them to metabolize caffeine more slowly lost more sleep.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU

Because the study was performed in a small number of people over a short period of time, the results don’t necessarily apply to the general population, said Dr. Dave Kao, a cardiologist and health data expert at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study. However, the study is consistent with others that have found coffee is safe and it offers a rare controlled evaluation of caffeine’s effect, Kao added.

Co-author Marcus cautions that the effects of drinking coffee can vary from person to person. He said he advises his patients with heart arrhythmias to experiment on their own to see how caffeine affects them.

“They’re often delighted to get the good news that it’s OK to try coffee and drink coffee,” he said.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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• Published: 17 May 2022

Caffeine consumption and cardiovascular health

• Rob M. van Dam 1 , 2 &
• Frank B. Hu   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8233-6274 2 , 3  

Nature Reviews Cardiology volume  19 ,  pages 429–430 ( 2022 ) Cite this article

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Moderate coffee consumption (2–5 cups per day) has been consistently associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease in epidemiological studies. For most individuals, a caffeine intake of up to 400 mg per day is safe and moderate coffee consumption can be included as part of a healthy lifestyle.

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van Dam, R. M., Hu, F. B. & Willett, W. C. Coffee, caffeine, and health. N. Engl. J. Med. 383 , 369–378 (2020).

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van Dam, R.M., Hu, F.B. Caffeine consumption and cardiovascular health. Nat Rev Cardiol 19 , 429–430 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41569-022-00719-4

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Biological properties of caffeine, (+)-catechin, and theobromine: an in silico study.

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Good News for Coffee Lovers: Daily Coffee May Benefit the Heart

Drinking two to three cups a day was associated with greatest heart benefits.

Mar 24, 2022

Contact: Nicole Napoli, [email protected], 202-375-6523

WASHINGTON (Mar 24, 2022) -

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, at 10:00 a.m. ET / 14:00 UTC in Prevention and Health Promotion Moderator Poster Theater 4, Hall C.

The second related study, “Regular Coffee Intake is Associated with Improved Mortality in Prevalent Cardiovascular Disease,” will be presented virtually on Saturday, April 2, at 8:30 a.m. ET / 12:30 UTC.

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, at 10:00 a.m. ET / 14:00 UTC in Electrophysiology Moderated Poster Theater 7, Hall C.

ACC.22 will take place April 2-4, 2022, in Washington, DC, bringing together cardiologists and cardiovascular specialists from around the world to share the newest discoveries in treatment and prevention. Follow  @ACCinTouch , @ACCMediaCenter and #ACC22 for the latest news from the meeting.

The American College of Cardiology envisions a world where innovation and knowledge optimize cardiovascular care and outcomes. As the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team, the mission of the College and its 54,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC bestows credentials upon cardiovascular professionals who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College also provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research through its world-renowned JACC Journals, operates national registries to measure and improve care, and offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions. For more, visit ACC.org .

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Coffee Drinking Linked to Lower Mortality Risk, New Study Finds

The research found that those who drank moderate amounts of coffee, even with a little sugar, were up to 30 percent less likely to die during the study period than those who didn’t drink coffee.

By Dani Blum

That morning cup of coffee may be linked to a lower risk of dying, researchers from a study published Monday in The Annals of Internal Medicine concluded. Those who drank 1.5 to 3.5 cups of coffee per day, even with a teaspoon of sugar, were up to 30 percent less likely to die during the study period than those who didn’t drink coffee. Those who drank unsweetened coffee were 16 to 21 percent less likely to die during the study period, with those drinking about three cups per day having the lowest risk of death when compared with noncoffee drinkers.

Researchers analyzed coffee consumption data collected from the U.K. Biobank, a large medical database with health information from people across Britain. They analyzed demographic, lifestyle and dietary information collected from more than 170,000 people between the ages of 37 and 73 over a median follow-up period of seven years. The mortality risk remained lower for people who drank both decaffeinated and caffeinated coffee. The data was inconclusive for those who drank coffee with artificial sweeteners.

“It’s huge. There are very few things that reduce your mortality by 30 percent,” said Dr. Christina Wee, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a deputy editor of the scientific journal where the study was published. Dr. Wee edited the study and published a corresponding editorial in the same journal.

There are, however, major caveats to interpreting this research, she added. This is an observational study, which means the data cannot conclusively prove that coffee itself lowers the risk of dying; there may be other lifestyle factors contributing to that lower mortality risk among people who drink coffee, like a healthy diet or a consistent exercise routine.

The average amount of added sugar per cup of sweetened coffee in the study was a little more than a teaspoon — far less than what is typically added to many sugary drinks at coffee chains across the country. A tall Caramel Macchiato at Starbucks, for instance, contains 25 grams of sugar, about five times as much sugar as a sweetened cup of coffee from the study.

“All bets are off when it comes to matching this with a latte, a Frappuccino, the super mocha whipped whatever,” said Dr. Eric Goldberg, a clinical associate professor of medicine at the N.Y.U. Grossman School of Medicine. These beverages tend to be high in calories and fat, he said, potentially negating or at least blunting any benefit from the coffee itself.

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New Research Says Coffee Won't Make Heart Arrhythmias Worse

Skylar Kang/Pexels

Key Takeaways

• A large study found that drinking moderate amounts of coffee does not appear to affect the rhythm of the heartbeat and may even protect the heart from arrhythmias.
• Coffee contains ingredients that are anti-inflammatory and antioxidants, which may be why it appears to offer heart-protective benefits.
• However, there are some people who might be more likely to have heart-related effects from caffeine, be it from coffee, tea, or soda, because of their genes.

It's long gone unquestioned that people with rapid or irregular heartbeats should cut back on the amount of coffee they drink, as caffeine may affect their heart rates. Now, a large study of people from the United Kingdom has provided evidence that drinking moderate amounts of coffee does not cause heart arrhythmia .

What's more, the study also found that drinking coffee may actually help protect the heart against arrhythmias.

The study used information gathered by the UK Biobank—a large prospective study of participants in England’s National Health Services. The researchers evaluated data from more than 386,000 coffee drinkers who were taking part in the study.

The participants were followed for an average of more than four years. During that time, about 4% of them (approximately 17,000 people) developed a problem with the rhythm of their heartbeat.

After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers considered how the participants' coffee intake might be associated with their heart-related health outcomes.

The main finding of the study was that there was no link between daily coffee consumption and a rapid or uneven heartbeat. However, the researchers also noted that having an additional eight-ounce cup of coffee per day was actually associated with a 3% reduced risk of developing a problem with heart rhythm.

“We found no evidence that caffeine consumption leads to a greater risk of arrhythmias,” Gregory Marcus, MD , a cardiologist and a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, and the lead author of the study, tells Verywell.

A Look at Genetic Factors

In addition to looking for any relationship between coffee intake and arrhythmias, the study also evaluated the participants for genetic factors that affect how caffeine is metabolized.

Some people metabolize caffeine faster than others, which could be why some people get more of a "jolt" from drinking a cup of coffee than others do.

The researchers used a technique called Mendelian randomization when they reviewed the participants' genetic data to help them determine if there could be a genetic basis for any relationship between caffeine and arrhythmias.

“We were unable to identify any interactions between various genes that play a role in caffeine metabolism and the possible coffee-arrhythmia relationship,” says Marcus. “However, there may yet be other genes or perhaps other environmental influences that render some rare individuals prone to more arrhythmia symptoms when they consume coffee.”

Marcus adds that some people do seem to "experience more symptoms of arrhythmias when they consume coffee or caffeine" but that these individuals "are the more rare exception rather than the rule.”

Coffee Could Be Protective

Marcus says that while studies have suggested that drinking coffee did not cause heart arrhythmias, the research has also been contradictory. "A protective relationship has been described in regard to atrial fibrillation before," he says. "But no previous study has demonstrated a reduced risk of all arrhythmias among coffee consumers."

The researchers also relied on participants reporting how much coffee they drank. Those responses could have been variable as people may have reported their intake inaccurately. While the UK Biobank did ask participants about how much tea they drank, Marcus' research did not evaluate other sources of caffeine such as tea or cola.

It's also worth noting that the study Marcus led looked at whether coffee affected arrhythmias—not specifically caffeine, a well-known and well-loved stimulant that can be consumed in forms other than coffee.

Caffeine Content

According to the Food and Drug Administration, the caffeine content of different beverages varies considerably.

• An 8-ounce cup of regular coffee can have about 80 milligrams (mg) to 100mg of caffeine.
• An 8-ounce cup of black or green tea has about 30mg to 50mg of caffeine.
• A 12-ounce serving of most colas (an average soda can) has about 30mg to 40mg of caffeine.
• Energy drinks can have as little as 8mg and upwards of 250mg of caffeine per fluid ounce.

“There are several biologically plausible mechanisms that could explain a protective effect of either coffee or caffeine on arrhythmias,” says Marcus. He points out that there are other ingredients in coffee besides caffeine, and some might explain why coffee appears to have a protective role against arrhythmias.

For example, caffeine has an adrenaline-like effect that might suppress some arrhythmias. It could also be that the stimulating effect helps motivate people to exercise more, which in turn helps their hearts.

Future Research

Marcus and his colleagues are continuing to investigate coffee drinking and heart rhythms and there is a need for more robust research.

“We recently completed a study where the same individuals were randomly assigned to consume versus avoid coffee while wearing a continuous electrocardiogram recording device. We are analyzing those results now,” says Marcus. “However, we would love to perform a large trial should funding support from an unbiased source become available.”

Such a clinical trial—where participants are divided into groups who drink coffee or those who do not—would help researchers understand if there is evidence to support advising people about their coffee drinking habits and heart health.

What This Means For You

Researchers are still trying to understand the relationship between coffee and heart health. While some people are more likely to be sensitive to the stimulating effects of caffeine in coffee, the new research suggests that for most people, coffee in and of itself is not a cause of irregular heart rhythms.

In fact, some people may get heart-protective benefits, as drinking coffee was associated with a lower risk of arrhythmias.

Kim E, et al. Coffee consumption and incident tachyarrhythmias: Reported behavior, Mendelian randomization, and their interactions . JAMA Intern Med . doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.3616

Cornelis, Kacprowski, Menni, et al. Genome-wide association study of caffeine metabolites provides new insights to caffeine metabolism and dietary caffeine-consumption behavior .  Human Molecular Genetics . 2016;25(24):5472-5482. doi:10.1093/hmg/ddw334

Food and Drug Administration. How much caffeine is too much? .

By Valerie DeBenedette DeBenedette is a North Carolina-based writer who has over 30 years' experience writing about health and medicine.

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What to know about new research on coffee and heart risks

Jonel Aleccia

Associated Press

Coffee lovers — and their doctors — have long wondered whether a jolt of java can affect the heart. New research published Wednesday finds that drinking caffeinated coffee did not significantly affect one kind of heart hiccup that can feel like a skipped beat.

But it did signal a slight increase in another type of irregular heartbeat in people who drank more than one cup per day. And it found that people tend to walk more and sleep less on the days they drank coffee.

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Coffee is one of the most common beverages in the world. In the U.S., two-thirds of Americans drink coffee every day, more than bottled water, tea or tap water, according to the National Coffee Association, a trade group. Coffee contains caffeine , a stimulant, which is widely regarded as safe for healthy adults at about 400 milligrams per day, or roughly the equivalent of four or five cups brewed at home.

Coffee has been associated with multiple health benefits and even a lower risk of dying, based on large studies that observed participants’ behavior. Despite research that has shown moderate coffee consumption doesn’t raise the risk of heart rhythm problems , some professional medical societies still caution against consuming caffeine.

The latest research:

THE EXPERIMENT

Researchers outfitted 100 healthy volunteers with gadgets that continuously monitored their heart function, daily steps, sleep patterns and blood sugar. The volunteers, who were mostly younger than 40, were sent daily text messages over two weeks instructing them to drink or avoid caffeinated coffee on certain days. The results were reported Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

This type of study, which directly measures the biological effects of drinking or not drinking caffeinated coffee in the same people, is rare and provides a dense array of data points, said study co-author Dr. Gregory Marcus, a cardiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, who specializes in treating heart arrhythmias.

THE FINDINGS

Researchers found that drinking caffeinated coffee did not result in more daily episodes of extra heartbeats, known as premature atrial contractions. These extra beats that begin in the heart's upper chambers are common and typically don't cause problems. But they have been shown to predict a potentially dangerous heart condition called atrial fibrillation.

They also found slight evidence of another kind of irregular heartbeat that comes from the lower heart chambers, called premature ventricular contractions. Such beats are also common and not usually serious, but they have been associated with a higher risk of heart failure. The researchers found more of these early beats in people on the days they drank coffee, but only in those who drank two or more cups per day.

The volunteers logged about 1,000 more steps per day on the days they drank coffee — and they slept about 36 minutes less, the study found. There was almost no difference in blood sugar levels.

One interesting result: People with genetic variants that make them break down caffeine faster experienced less of a sleep deficit, while folks with variants that lead them to metabolize caffeine more slowly lost more sleep.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU

Because the study was performed in a small number of people over a short period of time, the results don’t necessarily apply to the general population, said Dr. Dave Kao, a cardiologist and health data expert at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study. However, the study is consistent with others that have found coffee is safe and it offers a rare controlled evaluation of caffeine’s effect, Kao added.

Co-author Marcus cautions that the effects of drinking coffee can vary from person to person. He said he advises his patients with heart arrhythmias to experiment on their own to see how caffeine affects them.

“They’re often delighted to get the good news that it’s OK to try coffee and drink coffee,” he said.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Noisy Neighborhoods Might Raise Heart Attack Risk

Key takeaways.

Living in a noisy environment could boost the odds for a heart attack or reduce the odds for a good recovery after a heart attack

One study found the odds of cardiovascular trouble among heart attack survivors rose by a quarter if they lived in a noisy neighborhood

Noise exposure was also linked to an upped risk for having a heart attack before the age of 50

TUESDAY, Aug. 27, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Your heart health before and after a heart attack might be influenced by how loud your neighborhood is, new research suggests.

One study found that people under 50 were more prone to heart attack if they lived in a noisy area, while another study showed the prognosis for heart attack survivors was worse if neighborhood noise was an issue.

"These data provide some of the first insights that noise exposure can affect prognosis," said Marianne Zeller from the University of Burgundy and Hospital of Dijon, in France. She's the lead author of the second study.

Both studies were presented Tuesday in London as part of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) annual meeting .

Construction, cars honking, crowd noise: It can all be a chronic source of stress for urban dwellers, and stress is a known heart risk factor.

To determine the impact of a noisy neighborhood on cardiovascular health, doctors in Bremen, Germany, assessed the neighborhood noise levels of 430 people aged 50 or younger who were brought to a hospital for a heart attack (clinically known as a myocardial infarction).

People with low levels of heart risk factors -- issues such as diabetes or smoking -- were more likely to be admitted to the hospital with a heart attack if they happened to live in a noisy neighborhood, said a team led by Hatim Kerniss , of the Bremen Institute for Cardiovascular Research.

"Urban noise could significantly increase the risk of early-onset myocardial infarction in young people with low traditional risk factors," concluded an ESC news release on the study.

Kerniss' team believes neighborhood noise exposures should be included in guidelines aimed at assessing a person's heart risk.

The second study, led by Zeller, focused on outcomes for folks who'd survived a heart attack. Her team looked at one-year follow-up data for 864 French people who'd survived a heart attack for at least 28 days.

They tracked a composite outcome of cardiovascular events including cardiac death, rehospitalization for heart failure, the need for emergency procedures like angioplasty or stents, stroke, or angina (chest pains).

They also measured the decibel level at each patient's home address (the average level was 56 decibels over a 24-hour period).

Overall, a heart attack survivor's odds for some form of cardiovascular event jumped 25% for every 10-decibel rise in nighttime noise levels, the French team reported.

That finding stayed true even after Zeller's team factored out other environmental stressors, such as air pollution or poverty.

“These data provide some of the first insights that noise exposure can affect prognosis," Zeller said.

The two studies were presented at a medical meeting, so their findings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

However, if her team's findings are borne out by "larger prospective studies," they might give support to noise-reduction efforts being part of treatment for folks recovering from heart attack, Zeller said.

More information

Find out more about noise and its effect on your health at the University of California, Davis.

SOURCE: European Society of Cardiology, news release, Aug. 27, 2024

What This Means For You

A noisy neighborhood could be raising your everyday heart risks.

Related Stories

Living in tree-filled neighborhoods may reduce risk of heart disease, study shows

Living in a tree-filled neighborhood may be as beneficial to the heart as regular exercise, new research shows. 

Researchers at the University of Louisville designed a clinical trial that followed hundreds of people living in six low- to middle-income neighborhoods in South Louisville, Kentucky. They used blood and other samples to better understand how their heart risks changed before and after the team planted thousands of mature trees near their homes. 

Results from the Green Heart Louisville Project ’s HEAL Study , released Tuesday, showed that people living in neighborhoods with twice as many trees and shrubs had lower levels of a blood marker associated with heart disease, diabetes and some types of cancer compared with those who lived in more tree-bare neighborhoods. 

“We are trying to see if we can decrease the rates of heart disease in a community,” said Aruni Bhatnagar, a professor of medicine at the University of Louisville, who led the project.

Most previous studies showing the effects of nature on mental and physical health are observational and can’t answer whether people who live in green communities are healthier because they’re wealthier and have access to better health care. 

The HEAL study was set up with a control group and an intervention, meaning something measurable that some of the participants were exposed to during the study but not before. 

Bhatnagar and his team recruited about 750 people living in a 4-mile area of South Louisville cut by a highway. The residents were 25 to 75 years old. 

Nearly 80% were white, and 60% identified as female. Half reported average household incomes of $50,000.

The researchers collected blood, urine, nail and hair samples, as well as health data, from each person before they began their intervention. 

Then, from 2019 to 2022, they planted nearly 8,500 evergreen trees, 630 deciduous trees — the type that lose leaves in the fall — and 45 different types of shrubs in parts of the 4-mile study area, leaving others untouched. 

Last year and this year, they took new samples from residents living in both areas. 

People living in the intervention areas had 13% lower levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein , a blood marker associated with heart disease, including stroke, coronary artery disease and heart attack. The drop was similar to starting a regular exercise routine, Bhatnagar said. 

“I wouldn’t have expected such a strong biomarker response, and that speaks to maybe something truly is causal here with how trees impact health,” said Peter James, director of the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine, who wasn’t involved in the new research. 

How trees can improve physical health

Previous research has shown spending time in green spaces boosts mental health .

The new study showed the connection between living among more trees and physical health. 

Trees provide shade and cool the areas where they’re planted, helping quell the urban heat effect that disproportionately affects low-income neighborhoods and neighborhoods of color. Hot weather aggravates heart disease and can cause heatstroke in people without pre-existing conditions. 

Trees also buffer noise, which is linked to higher rates of cardiovascular disease, James said. 

“They provide areas for people to relax, exercise, and probably more importantly, socialize,” Joan Casey, an environmental epidemiologist and associate professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at the University of Washington, said in an email. 

“They also replace other health-harmful land uses, like industrial sites,” she said.

Because one of the city’s major highways cuts through the study area, Bhatnagar and his team believe, trees’ ability to filter air pollution and buffer neighborhoods from constantly breathing in harmful particles could be a primary way the tree-planting intervention appeared to lower inflammation markers in people living in greened areas. 

During the study, the project planted trees only in the parts of South Louisville that had the worst air quality. It took air quality samples before the project, and it is still analyzing how the new tree cover has affected pollution. It’s a complex undertaking, because air quality fluctuates based on the weather — a windy day might increase or decrease air pollution in certain areas, depending on the direction of the wind, and air pollution is worse on hotter days. 

The project plans to plant trees in the control group neighborhoods in another three or four years if the intervention neighborhoods continue to show positive results. It also wants to determine whether tree cover improves sleep or children’s immune systems by encouraging outside play. 

“There is no sort of ultimate proof,” Bhatnagar said. “But this is the strongest evidence of any study that’s ever been done on trees and their relationship to health.” 

Growing evidence shows the importance of ensuring green spaces are equitably distributed around cities, which is currently not the case . 

Casey said it’s important that city planners be careful not to create “green gentrification” when they create more equitable access to green spaces in cities — that is, when spaces such as water fronts are restored and housing prices increase as a result, making it unaffordable for current residents to continue living there once a green space is completed.

“The take-home message here is that nature is not an amenity; green spaces are not a perk for the wealthy. They are essential for us as human beings,” James said. 

Kaitlin Sullivan is a contributor for NBCNews.com who has worked with NBC News Investigations. She reports on health, science and the environment and is a graduate of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at City University of New York.

Anne Thompson is NBC News’ chief environmental affairs correspondent. 

Gut microbiome that digests red meat may be biomarker for heart failure, Clinic-Tufts study suggests

• Updated: Aug. 27, 2024, 10:11 a.m.
• | Published: Aug. 27, 2024, 10:00 a.m.

A new study led by the Cleveland Clinic and Tufts University may lead to new treatment options for cardiovascular disease. John Pana, cleveland.com

• Julie Washington, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Higher levels of a certain gut microbiome may lead to a higher risk of heart failure, independent of other risk factors, a new study from the Cleveland Clinic and Tufts University suggests.

Researchers focused on the gut microbiome trimethylamine N-oxide pathway, TMAO. Findings were recently published in the journal Circulation: Heart Failure.

TMAO forms when gut bacteria digests red meat and other animal products. Over the past decade, a Cleveland Clinic research team led by Dr. Stanley Hazen, chair of cardiovascular and metabolic sciences in the Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute, has published numerous studies linking high levels of TMAO to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack, stroke and chronic kidney disease.

“The present studies show that even among apparently healthy subjects at time of enrollment, regular measurement of blood TMAO levels predicted incident risk for heart failure development during long-term follow up,” Hazen said. “This adds to the growing body of research linking the gut microbial TMAO pathway to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and as a potential target for medical therapies.”

The recent Clinic-Tufts study further investigated the effects of elevated TMAO over time by following nearly 12,000 participants.

Researchers measured a series of blood level samples over almost 16 years, resulting in over 20,000 evaluations of TMAO levels. Overall, 2,102 cases of heart failure occurred.

Within this group, TMAO served as a strong biomarker for identifying subjects at risk for development of heart failure, after adjustment for a range of cardiovascular disease risk factors, sociodemographic, lifestyle, medical and biochemical markers, the study suggests.

The findings were generally consistent across cardiovascular disease risk factors including age, race/ethnicity, BMI and renal function.

“Heart failure is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. These results open a new avenue for potential treatment and prevention,” Hazen said. “I’m hopeful we will someday have medications that target the TMAO pathway and prevent its negative effects from occurring.”

Hazen’s team has been developing treatment options that target TMAO to prevent and treat diseases like cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease.

Dr. Wilson Tang, research director for heart failure and cardiac transplantation medicine at the Clinic, was also a lead author of the study.

Julie Washington covers healthcare for cleveland.com . Read previous stories at this link .

Stories by Julie Washington

• UH promises ‘transformational building’ along Euclid Avenue with help of $15 million Wolstein family gift
• Judge blocks Ohio’s 24-hour wait period for abortions
• PTSD, depression higher in law enforcement officers with head injuries, new research suggests
• New COVID-19 vaccines approved; expected to be available in Cleveland within a week or two
• Ohio COVID-19 cases worsen for 12th week: Coronavirus update for Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024

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• Market analysis
• Market news

COFFEE gains 2% amid supply shortage risk as cold weather hits in Brazil 📈

Prices of coffee futures on ICE exchange are rising today more than 2%, as traders weigh in rising demand, higher shipping costs and colder weather in Brazil, the biggest coffee-producing country in the world (1/3 of global supply) .

• Prices of both arabica (usually for blended coffee) and robusta beans (instant coffee usage) surged in recent months, on both NYC and London futures exchanges. Weather disrupting crops, with rising global coffee demand, are major drivers of actual bull run.
• Looking at the cocoa (but also coffee) volatility and somehow correlated 'hot markets' during recent months, we can assume that some institutional speculators may increase speculative actions on commodities, as a part of global 'carry trade'.
• According to ChAI, a commodity forecasting firm, coffee prices may still have some fuel for further growth from current levels, as speculators expect the bull run to continue. What's more, BMI commodities firm signals that due to higher lower quality robusta usage in coffee beans since 2021 to 2023, global inventories are low, supporting rising prices.

Of course, as for now coffee market is not so tight as cocoa, also volatility is lower, but if current, hard conditions will not change, we may potentially higher speculative interest, supporting riskier market behaviour. Cold weather in Brazil still give bulls a significant support. However, some weather forecasts signals rising chances for temperatures stabilising above 20 Celsius degrees, this week, so coffee volatility may persist - in both sides.

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Coffee (m30 interval).

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Changing the language affects the change of regulator