The relationship between coffee consumption and lipid levels in young and older people in the Heidelberg-Michelstadt-Berlin study

The relationship between coffee consumption and serum lipid levels was studied in a randomly selected sample of 395 young and 385 elderly adults in the Federal Republic of Germany. Analyses were done separately for men and women and for young and older people. After adjustment for body mass index, activity level, smoking, total energy intake, dietary fat, fish, milk, tea and alcohol consumption and oral contraceptive use a statistically significant increase in total serum- and LDL-cholesterol levels with increased coffee consumption was observed in the group of young men only. In this subgroup a difference of 0.11 mmol.l-1 serum cholesterol and of 0.10 mmol.l-1 LDL cholesterol for each additional cup of coffee consumed daily was calculated. This is one of the few studies that includes elderly people. No significant trend was seen between coffee consumption and serum- or LDL-cholesterol levels in the elderly.