icon-folder.gif   Conference Reports for NATAP  
 
  AASLD
American Association For The Study of Liver Diseases
November 11-15, 2005 San Francisco
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COFFEE DRINKING DECREASES THE RISK OF CHRONIC LIVER DISEASE IN THE UNITED STATES POPULATION
 
 
  Reported by Jules Levin
http://www.natap.org
from AASLD
Nov 11, 2005, San Francisco
 
Constance E. Ruhl, Social & Scientific Systems, Inc., Silver Spring, MD; James E. Everhart, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD
 
Purpose: Coffee drinking has been suggested to protect against liver injury, but it is uncertain whether this is of clinical significance. We examined the relationship of coffee and tea consumption with the incidence of hospitalization or death from chronic liver disease (CLD).
 
Methods: Participants in the population-based first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1971-75, were asked about their typical total coffee and tea consumption. Daily coffee and tea intake was categorized as <1 cup (mean 0.2 cups), 1-2 cups, and >2 cups (mean 4.0 cups). A second analysis included follow-up of persons free of liver disease in 1982-84 who were asked more detailed questions on coffee and tea drinking. Persons with evidence of liver disease at baseline were excluded. Participants were followed through 1992-93 for CLD as identified by hospital or death certificate diagnosis of CLD or cirrhosis (ICD-9-CM 571). Ninety-six percent of the baseline cohort was recontacted. Hazard rate ratios for CLD according to coffee and tea intake level were calculated using Cox proportional hazards analysis.
 
Results:
 
9,849 persons were followed for a median of 19.0 years (range 0.02-22.1). Cumulative incidence of CLD was 1.4% at 20 years. Participants who consumed more coffee and tea had a lower incidence of CLD (test for trend p 0.002) (Figure).
 
In multivariate analysis, participants who drank >2 cups per day had less than half the rate of CLD as those who drank <1 cup per day (hazard ratio 0.43, 95% confidence interval =0.24-0.78).
 
Protection by coffee and tea was limited to persons at higher risk for liver diseases from heavier alcohol intake, overweight, diabetes, or high iron saturation. Among 9,650 participants who provided detailed drink information in 1982-84, intake of regular ground coffee and of caffeine was associated with lower incidence of CLD.
 
Conclusions: Coffee and tea drinking decreases the risk of clinically significant CLD.

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