According to a research team from SUNY Downstate Medical Center and Brooklyn College, regular intake of higher caffeinated beverages is associated to lower relative risk of coronary vascular disease and heart mortality in the elderly (ages 65 and higher).

Such were the results revealed by the first federal National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study.

According to John Kassotis, MD, associate professor of medicine at SUNY Downstate:

"The protection against death from heart disease in the elderly afforded by caffeine is likely due to caffeine's enhancement of blood pressure."

Also the protective effect was found to be dose-responsive: the higher the caffeine intake, the higher the protection and was found only in study participants who were not severely hypertensive.

However, such protective effects were not found in participants below age 65.

Source: SUNY Downstate Medical Center