Coffee consumption may increase risk of mild cognitive impairment

According to the study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, the researchers estimated the association between change or constant habits in coffee consumption and the incidence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). They found that increased consumption of coffee overtime may increase the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) which could lead to Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

The researchers examined 1,445 individuals recruited from 5,632 subjects, aged 65-84 year old, from the Italian Longitudinal Study on Ageing (ILSA), a population-based sample from eight Italian municipalities.

The study found that cognitively normal older individuals who modified their habits by increasing with time their amount of coffee consumption ( more than a cup of coffee per day) had about two times higher rate of MCI compared to those with reduced habits (less than a cup of coffee per day). They also had about one and a half time higher rate of MCI in comparison with those with constant habits (neither more nor less than one cup of coffee per day).

The researchers also showed that both rare and higher consumption of coffee (more than 2 cups per day) were associated with higher risk of the incidence of MCI.

By Lizitha