What's the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest?
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According to the NHS, a heart attack is a “serious medical emergency in which the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly blocked”. The condition produces few warning signs before striking, so acting swiftly is key to surviving an event. The effects of coffee have historically been deemed unprofitable for those with heart conditions. But some research shows coffee could prevent calcium deposits from entering the arteries, helping to avert the deadly condition.
While people often equate coffee consumption to caffeine, coffee beans provide a wealth of other healthful compounds.
They are an excellent source of disease-fighting antioxidants, which have been shown to reduce the risk of many chronic diseases.
According to an early body of research, drinking between three to cups of coffee per day could significantly reduce the amount of calcium deposited in arteries leading to the heart.
The study, conducted in South Korea, was conducted on a cohort of 25,000 men and women who underwent routine examinations.
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None of the participants showed signs of heart disease at the study’s outset.
After participants filled out a set of questionnaires, researchers were able to establish that those who drank three to five cups of coffee daily had 40 percent less calcium in their arteries.
Those who drank one to three cups of coffee daily had 35 percent less calcium, compared to those who drank none.
On the other hand, Those who drank one cup of coffee daily had 23 percent less calcium in their arteries.
As a person ages, they become increasingly vulnerable to the build-up of calcium-based plaque in their arteries.
This plaque can pad the inner lining of the aorta, and other vessels leading to the heart, which impedes blood flow and hikes the risk of obstruction.
The findings of the study, published in the journal Heart in 2015, stand in stark contrast with earlier research which suggested moderate coffee drinking could raise the risk of heart attack by 60 percent.
But a new study has endorsed the benefits of coffee drinking, showing it can also lower the chances of early death from heart problems.
The latest results, due to be presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 71st Annual Scientific Session, appear to suggest that coffee consumed in any quantity was not associated with a higher risk of heart problems.
Peter M Kistler, professor and head of arrhythmia research at the Alfred Hospital and Baker Heart Institute in Australia, and senior author of the study said: “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.
“We found coffee drinking had either a neutral effect – meaning that it did no harm – or was associated with benefits to heart health.”
The study looked at data from 382,535 individuals without known heart disease to establish whether coffee consumption increased heart health risks.
Of the 24,111 people included in the analysis who had an arrhythmia at baseline, driving coffee was associated with a lower risk of death.
Professor Kistler remarked: “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.”
Although the favourable cups of coffee was between two and three, the researchers advised against augmenting coffee intake, particularly if the beverage makes individuals feel anxious.
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