The Swedish Heart Epidemiology Program has followed for eight years 1,369 people who had their first heart attack between 1992 and 1994. 276 participants died during the study. After a multivariant analysis, coffee consumption showed a "strong inverse relationship with mortality."
People were categorized by the number of cups consumed per day: less than 1, 1 to 3, 3 to 5, 5 to 7 and greater than 7. Compared with those who drank less than 1 cup a day, mortality was 32 percent lower for those who drank 1 to 3 cups, 48 percent lower for those who drank 3 to 5 cups, and 42 percent lower for those who drank more than 7 cups. Sorry, I cannot find a link to the study, but my source is the Internal Medicine News, Dec. 1, 2008, page 40.
Then, if you like coffee, you simply must read
this delightfully illustrated op-ed piece from today's New York Times online.