Coffee may lower risk of Parkinson's disease
Coffee drinkers may have a
lower risk of Parkinson's disease than people who don't
drink coffee, according to
researchers from the Department of Veterans Affairs in
Honolulu, Hawaii.
Researchers analysed data on
8004 Japanese-American men
who were enrolled in a prospective longitudinal study between
1965 and 1968 (JAMA 2000;
283:2674-9). The men, who
ranged in age from 45 to 68
years at the study's outset, had
an average age of 53. The initial
examinations included interviews, analysis of demographic
data, a physical examination,
and completion of a detailed
dietary questionnaire. Nutrient
intake was assessed by 24 hour
recall during an interview with a
dietitian. A one week dietary
record was used among a subset
of participants to validate nutrient intake.
A Tzotzil Indian woman dries coffee beans in the Mexican sunshine (EDUARDO VERDUGO/AP)
Patients were followed for 30
years. Over the course of the
study, 102 cases of Parkinson's
disease were identified.
The researchers found a
significant inverse relation
between the incidence of Parkinson's disease and caffeine con-
sumption. Those who did not
drink coffee were three times
more likely to develop Parkinson's disease than coffee
drinkers; they had a fivefold
greater risk when compared
with those who drank 28 ounces
(827 ml) or more coffee a day.
The results persisted even after
an adjustment was made for cigarette smoking.
Deborah Josefson, San Francisco
studentBMJ 2000;08:217-258 July ISSN 0966-6494
