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Coffee Drinking and Mortality in 10 European Countries: A Multinational Cohort Study

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Gunter, Marc J 
Murphy, Neil 
Cross, Amanda J 
Dossus, Laure 
Dartois, Laureen 

Abstract

Background: The relationship between coffee consumption and mortality in diverse European populations with variable coffee preparation methods is unclear. Objective: To examine whether coffee consumption is associated with all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: 10 European countries. Participants: 521 330 persons enrolled in EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition). Measurements: Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs estimated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. The association of coffee consumption with serum biomarkers of liver function, inflammation, and metabolic health was evaluated in the EPIC Biomarkers subcohort (n = 14 800). Results: During a mean follow-up of 16.4 years, 41 693 deaths occurred. Compared with nonconsumers, participants in the highest quartile of coffee consumption had statistically significantly lower all-cause mortality (men: HR, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.82 to 0.95]; P for trend < 0.001; women: HR, 0.93 [CI, 0.87 to 0.98]; P for trend = 0.009). Inverse associations were also observed for digestive disease mortality for men (HR, 0.41 [CI, 0.32 to 0.54]; P for trend < 0.001) and women (HR, 0.60 [CI, 0.46 to 0.78]; P for trend < 0.001). Among women, there was a statistically significant inverse association of coffee drinking with circulatory disease mortality (HR, 0.78 [CI, 0.68 to 0.90]; P for trend < 0.001) and cerebrovascular disease mortality (HR, 0.70 [CI, 0.55 to 0.90]; P for trend = 0.002) and a positive association with ovarian cancer mortality (HR, 1.31 [CI, 1.07 to 1.61]; P for trend = 0.015). In the EPIC Biomarkers subcohort, higher coffee consumption was associated with lower serum alkaline phosphatase; alanine aminotransferase; aspartate aminotransferase; γ-glutamyltransferase; and, in women, C-reactive protein, lipoprotein(a), and glycated hemoglobin levels. Limitations: Reverse causality may have biased the findings; however, results did not differ after exclusion of participants who died within 8 years of baseline. Coffee-drinking habits were assessed only once. Conclusion: Coffee drinking was associated with reduced risk for death from various causes. This relationship did not vary by country. Primary Funding Source: European Commission Directorate-General for Health and Consumers and International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Description

Keywords

adult, biomarkers, cardiovascular Diseases, cause of death, cerebrovascular disorders, coffee, digestive system diseases, drinking, Europe, female, humans, inflammation, liver function tests, male, middle aged, mortality, ovarian neoplasms, proportional hazards models, prospective studies, risk factors

Journal Title

Annals of Internal Medicine

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0003-4819
1539-3704

Volume Title

167

Publisher

American College of Physicians
Sponsorship
Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12015/1)
European Commission (37197)
Department of Health (via National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)) (NF-SI-0512-10135)
Medical Research Council (G0401527)
Medical Research Council (MR/L003120/1)
Medical Research Council (G1000143)
Medical Research Council (MR/N003284/1)
British Heart Foundation (None)
Medical Research Council (G0401527/1)
Cancer Research Uk (None)
The coordination of EPIC is financially supported by the European Commission (DG-SANCO); and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The national cohorts are supported by Danish Cancer Society (Denmark); Ligue Contre le Cancer; Institut Gustave Roussy; Mutuelle Générale de l’Education Nationale; and Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) (France); Deutsche Krebshilfe, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum; and Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Germany); Hellenic Health Foundation; Stavros Niarchos Foundation; and the Hellenic Ministry of Health and Social Solidarity (Greece); Italian Association for Research on Cancer (AIRC); National Research Council; and Associazione Iblea per la Ricerca Epidemiologica (AIRE-ONLUS) Ragusa, Associazione Volontari Italiani Sangu (AVIS) Ragusa, Sicilian Government (Italy); Dutch Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sports (VWS); Netherlands Cancer Registry (NKR); LK Research Funds; Dutch Prevention Funds; Dutch ZON (Zorg Onderzoek Nederland); World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF); and Statistics Netherlands (the Netherlands); European Research Council (ERC) (grant number ERC-2009-AdG 232997) and Nordforsk; and Nordic Center of Excellence Programme on Food, Nutrition and Health (Norway); Health Research Fund (FIS); Regional Governments of Andalucía, Asturias, Basque Country, Murcia (No. 6236) and Navarra; and the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Epidemiología y Salud Pública and Instituto de Salud Carlos II (ISCIII RETIC) (RD06/0020) (Spain); Swedish Cancer Society; Swedish Scientific Council; and Regional Government of Skåne and Västerbotten (Sweden); Cancer Research UK; Medical Research Council; Stroke Association; British Heart Foundation; Department of Health; Food Standards Agency; and the Wellcome Trust (UK). Funding for the biomarker measurements in the random sub-cohort was provided by grants to EPIC-InterAct from the European Community Framework Programme 6 and to EPIC-Heart from the Medical Research Council and British Heart Foundation (Joint Award G0800270). We thank Nicola Kerrison (MRC Epidemiology Unit, Cambridge) for managing the data for the InterAct Project. Funding for the InterAct project was provided by the EU FP6 programme (grant number LSHM_CT_2006_037197). The work undertaken by David C Muller was done during the tenure of an IARC, Australia postdoctoral fellowship, supported by the Cancer Council Australia. Domenico Palli was supported by a grant from the Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro-AIRC-Italy. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.