But there is evidence that moderate coffee consumption is associated with a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes, Klatsky said.
One possible confounding factor is that people who drink moderate amounts of either coffee or tea tend to have a healthier lifestyle, exercising more and avoiding obesity, said Steinbaum.
Still, "this and other studies have shown that drinking two to four cups of coffee a day is associated with a 20 percent reduction in heart disease," Steinbaum said. When people ask her whether coffee drinking is dangerous, "my response is that drinking coffee is not unhealthy," she said.
The study was published online June 18 in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.
More information
More information on caffeine and heart disease can be found at the American Heart Association.
SOURCES: Frank Hu, M.D., Ph.D, professor, nutrition and epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston; Arthur L. Klatsky, M.D., senior consultant, cardiology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, Oakland, Calif.; Suzanne Steinbaum, M.D., director, women and heart disease, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; June 18, 2010 Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, online
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