Coffee Consumption and Coronary Artery Calcium Score
Condition: Atherosclerosis; Cardiovascular Diseases
MeSH terms: Cardiovascular Diseases; Atherosclerosis
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      Coffee is one of the dietary factors associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) but its
      role in the cardiovascular system is not yet clear. Moreover, available evidence for the
      relation between coffee intake with subclinical atherosclerosis is limited and inconsistent.
      The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between habitual coffee consumption and
      the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis measured as coronary artery calcium (CAC) in the
      Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). This is a cross-sectional study
      based on baseline data from participants of the cohort ELSA-Brasil. In this analysis, only
      participants living in São Paulo with no prior history of CVD aged 35 to 74 years who
      underwent a CAC measurement (n=4,426) were included. Dietary data were collected using a
      validated food frequency questionnaire. Coronary calcification was detected with computed
      tomographic and it was expressed as Agatston units. CAC was further categorized as 0 or >0,
      and <100 or ≥100.
    

Detailed description: 
      The Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) is a cohort study designed to identify
      risk factors for diabetes and CVD. Briefly, the cohort comprises 15,105 civil servants, aged
      35 to 74 years at baseline, who were sampled from universities or research institutions
      located in six cities (Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, São Paulo, and
      Vitoria) of three different regions of Brazil. Baseline assessment was conducted from August
      2008 to December 2010 and consisted of an approximately 7-hour evaluation, which included
      personal interviews conducted by trained personnel. These interviews focused on
      sociodemographic characteristics, health and medical history, occupational exposure, family
      history of disease, reproductive health, health care, psychosocial factors, body weight
      history and body image, food consumption, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity,
      medication use, cognitive function, mental health, and clinical and laboratory measurements.
      In addition, the participants at the ELSA-Brasil site in São Paulo were invited to perform a
      computed tomographic (CT) examination to quantify coronary artery calcium (CAC).

      Thus, for the current investigation, only participants of the ELSA-Brasil of São Paulo
      Research Center who submitted to CAC determination (n=4,549) were included. In addition, in
      the present analysis, we considered individuals without missing data at baseline for coffee
      intake, and no self-reported history of cardiovascular disease defined as prior myocardial
      infarction, angina, stroke, heart failure, and coronary revascularization. Therefore, the
      final study sample comprised 4,426 individuals who submitted to CAC measurements and did not
      fulfill exclusion criteria to participate in this subset of the study.

      The ELSA-Brasil protocol was approved at all six centers by the institutional review boards
      addressing research in human participants. All the subjects signed a written informed consent
      form.
    

Observational model: Other
Time perspective: Cross-Sectional
Sampling method: Non-Probability Sample
Study population: 
        The Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) is a cohort study that comprises
        15,105 civil servants, aged 35 to 74 years at baseline, who were sampled from universities
        or research institutions located in six cities (Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre, Rio de
        Janeiro, Salvador, São Paulo, and Vitoria) of three different regions of Brazil.

        The participants at the ELSA-Brasil site in São Paulo were invited to perform a computed
        tomographic (CT) examination to quantify coronary artery calcium (CAC).

        Thus, for the current investigation, only participants of the ELSA-Brasil of São Paulo
        Research Center who submitted to CAC determination (n=4,549) were included. Therefore, the
        final study sample comprised 4,426 individuals who submitted to CAC measurements and did
        not fulfill exclusion criteria to participate in this subset of the study.
      
Keywords: coffee consumption; cardiovascular diseases; coronary artery calcium; subclinical atherosclerosis