Skip to main content
Log in

The relationship between coffee consumption and serum cholesterol under consideration of smoking history

  • Published:
European Journal of Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A large German population sample of 6820 men and 7258 women was used to investigate the relationship between coffee consumption, total serum cholesterol and HDL cholesterol.

Analyses were conducted on men and women separately. Differences in age, body mass index, diastolic blood pressure, smoking habits, alcohol, fish, milk and tea consumption, physical activity and medication use were controlled for in the analyses. Interactions between coffee consumption and smoking habits in their relationship with serum cholesterol were part of the analyses. For men, a positive relationship between coffee consumption and total serum cholesterol was found among smokers and life-long abstainers but not in the group of ex-smokers. In women a relationship between coffee consumption and total serum cholesterol was also present, but very weak (only statistical significant in covariance analyses). Levels of HDL cholesterol did not correlate with coffee consumption in either men and women.

Hypotheses concerning the peculiarities of the group of ex-smokers are developed, and supporting empirical evidence is given. It is suggested that the group of ex-smokers should always be analysed separately.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. AllainC.C., PoonL.S., ChanC.S.G., RichmondW. and FuP.C. (1974): Enzymatic determination of total serum cholesterol - Clin. Chem. 20: 470–475.

    Google Scholar 

  2. ArabL., KohlmeierM., SchlierfG. and SchettlerG. (1983): Coffee and cholesterol (Letter) - N. Engl. J. Med. 309: 1250.

    Google Scholar 

  3. BakA.A.A. and GrobbeeD.E. (1989): The effect on serum cholesterol levels of coffee brewed by filtering or boiling - N. Engl. J. Med. 321: 1432–1437.

    Google Scholar 

  4. BjelkeE. (1974): Colon cancer and blood cholesterol -Lancet 1: 1116–1117.

    Google Scholar 

  5. BurrM., GallacherJ.E.J., ButlandB.K., BoltonC.H. and DownsL.G. (1989): Coffee, blood pressure and plasma lipids: a randomized controlled trial - Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 43: 477–483.

    Google Scholar 

  6. CurbJ.D., ReedD.M., KautzJ.A. and YanoK. (1986): Coffee, caffeine, and serum cholesterol in Japanese men in Hawaii - Am. J. Epidemiol. 123: 648–655.

    Google Scholar 

  7. DavisB.R., CurbJ.D., BorhaniN.O., PrineasR.J. and MolteniA. (1988): Coffee consumption and serum cholesterol in the hypertension detection and follow-up program - Am. J. Epidemiol. 128: 124–136.

    Google Scholar 

  8. DonahueR.P., OrchardT.J., SteinE.A. and KullerL.H. (1987): Lack of an association between coffee consumption and lipoprotein lipids and apolipoproteins in young adults: the Beaver Courity Study - Prev. Med. 16: 796–802.

    Google Scholar 

  9. DusseldorpM.van, KatanM.B., vanVlietT., DemackerP.N.M. and StalenhoefA.F.H. (1991): The cholesterol-raising factor from boiled coffee does not pass a paper filter - Arteriosclerosis and Thrombosis 11: 586–593.

    Google Scholar 

  10. FørdeO.H., KnutsenS.F., ArnesenE. and ThelleD.S. (1985): The Tromsø Heart study: coffee consumption and serum lipid concentrations in men with hypercholesterolaemia: a randomised intervention study - Br. Med. J. 290: 893–895.

    Google Scholar 

  11. GCP Study Group(1988):The German Cardiovascular Prevention Study (GCP): design and methods - Eur. Heart J. 10: 1058–1066.

    Google Scholar 

  12. HaffnerS.M., KnappJ.A., SternM.P., HazudaH.P., RosenthalM. and FrancoL.J. (1985): Coffee consumption, diet, and lipids - Am. J. Epidemiol. 122: 1–11.

    Google Scholar 

  13. HäußlerA., RehmJ., NassE. and KohlmeierL. (1991): Data bases for nutritional epidemiology: the food code of the German Federal Republic (BLS). In: Kohlmeier L. (ed.) The diet history method (Proceedings of the 2nd Berlin Meeting on Nutritional Epidemiology) - Smith Gordon, London 103–108.

    Google Scholar 

  14. HoffmeisterH., Hoeltz J., SchönD., SchröderE. and GütherB. (1988): DHP-Forum. Nationaler Untersuchungs-Survey and regionale Untersuchungs-Surveys der DHP. Band I - Wissenschaftliches Institut der Ärtzte Deutschlands (WIAD), Bonn.

    Google Scholar 

  15. HofmanA., vanLaarA., KleinF. and ValkenburgH.A. (1983): Coffee and cholesterol (Letter) - N. Engl. J. Med. 309: 1249.

    Google Scholar 

  16. HüllinghorstR., NeßB. and WünschmannB. (1991): Jahrbuch Sucht 1991. Deutsche Hauptstelle gegen die Suchtgefahren - Neuland Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Hamburg.

    Google Scholar 

  17. KarkJ.D., FriedlanderY., KaufmannN.A. and SteinY. (1985): Coffee, tea, and plasma cholesterol: the Jerusalem Lipid Research Clinic prevalence study -Br. Med. J. 291: 699–704.

    Google Scholar 

  18. KohlmeierL., MensinkG.B.M. and KohlmeierM. (1991): The relationship between coffee consumption and lipid levels in young and older people in the Heidelberg-Michelstadt-Berlin study - Eur. Heart J. 12: 869–874.

    Google Scholar 

  19. LieR.F., SchmitzJ.M., PierreK.J. and GochmanN. (1976): Cholesterol oxidase-based determination, by continuous-flow analysis, of total and free cholesterol in serum - Clin. Chem. 22: 1627–1630.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Mathias, S., GarlandC., Barret-ConnorE. and WingardD.L. (1985): Coffee, plasma cholesterol, and lipoproteins: A population study in an adult community - Am. J. Epidemiol. 121: 896–905.

    Google Scholar 

  21. MensinkG.B.M., RehmJ., KohlmeierL. and HoffmeisterH. (1990): Die Kaffeepause, ein Risikofaktor für Herz-Kreislauf-Mortalität? Bundesgesundheitsblatt 12: 547–552.

    Google Scholar 

  22. MensinkG.B.M., KohlmeierL., RehmJ. and HoffmeisterH. (1989): Die Beziehung zwischen Kaffeekonsum und Cholesterin im Serum in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland - J. Clin. Chem. Clin. Biochem. 27: 753–754.

    Google Scholar 

  23. MiettinenO.S. (1985): Theoretical Epidemiology- John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York.

    Google Scholar 

  24. NicholsA.B., RavenscroftC., LamphierarD.E. and OstranderL.D. (1976): Independence of serum lipid levels and dietary habits. The Tecumseh Study - J. Am. Med. Assoc. 236: 1948–1953.

    Google Scholar 

  25. NorusisM.J. (1985): SPSS-X Advanced Statistic Guide - McGraw-Hill Inc., New York.

    Google Scholar 

  26. PietinenP., GeboersJ. and KestelootH. (1988): Coffee consumption and serum cholesterol: An epidemiological study in Belgium - Int. J. Epidemiol. 17: 98–104.

    Google Scholar 

  27. RosmarinP.C., ApplegateW.B. and SomesG.W. (1990): Coffee consumption and serum lipids: a randomized, crossover clinical trial - Am. J. Med. 88: 349–356.

    Google Scholar 

  28. SalonenJ.T., HapponenP., SalonenR., et al. (1987): Interdependence of Associations of Physical Activity, Smoking, and Alcohol and Coffee Consumption with Serum High-Density Lipoprotein and Non-High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol - A Population Study in Eastern Finland - Prev. Med. 16: 647–658.

    Google Scholar 

  29. SalvaggioA., PeritiM., MianoL.QuagliaG. and MarzoratiD. (1991): Coffee and Cholesterol, an Italian Study - Am. J. Epidemiol. 134: 149–156.

    Google Scholar 

  30. SchwarzB., BischofH.-P. and KunzeM. (1990): Coffee and Cardiovascular Risk: Epidemiological Findings in Austria - Intern. J. Epidemiol. 19: 894–898.

    Google Scholar 

  31. ShirlowM.J. and MathersC.D. (1984): Caffeine consumption and serum cholesterol levels - Intern. J. Epidemiol. 13: 422–427.

    Google Scholar 

  32. SolvollK., SelmerR., LøkenE.B., FossO.P. and TryggK. (1989): Coffee, dietary habits, and serum cholesterol among men and women 35–49 years of age - Am. J. Epidemiol. 129: 1277–1288.

    Google Scholar 

  33. StensvoldI., TverdalA. and FossO.P. (1989): The effect of coffee on blood lipids and blood pressure. Results from a Norwegian cross-sectional study, men and women, 40–42 years - J. Clin. Epidemiol. 42: 877–884.

    Google Scholar 

  34. ThelleD.S., ArnesenE. and FørdeO.H. (1983): The Tromsø Heart Study: Does coffee raise serum cholesterol? N. Engl. J. Med. 308: 1454–1457.

    Google Scholar 

  35. TuomilehtoJ., TanskanenA., PietinenP., et al. (1987): Coffee consumption is correlated with serum cholesterol in middle-aged Finnish men and women- J. Epidemiol. Comm. Health 41: 237–242.

    Google Scholar 

  36. ZockP.L., KatanM.B., MerkusM.P., vanDusseldorpM. and HarryvanJ.L. (1990): Effect of a lipid-rich fraction from boiled coffee on serum cholesterol -Lancet 335: 1235–1237.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mensink, G., Kohlmeier, L., Rehm, J. et al. The relationship between coffee consumption and serum cholesterol under consideration of smoking history. Eur J Epidemiol 9, 140–150 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00158783

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00158783

Key words

Navigation