Inter‐Individual Variation in Cancer and Cardiometabolic Health Outcomes in Response to Coffee Consumption: A Critical Review

Abstract

Scope: Coffee is associated with a lower risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes at the population level. However, individual susceptibility to the effects of coffee consumption will cause heterogeneity in health responses between individuals. In this critical review determinants of inter-individual variability in cancer and cardiometabolic health outcomes in response to coffee and caffeine consumption are systematically evaluated. Methods and results: Embase and MEDLINE are searched for observational studies and clinical trials that examined variation in the response to coffee consumption. A total of 74 studies meet the inclusion criteria, which report variation in cancer (n = 24) and cardiometabolic health (n = 50) outcomes. The qualitative analysis shows that sex, BMI, smoking, alcohol intake, menopausal status, and genetic polymorphisms are probable or possible determinants of inter-individual variability in cancer and cardiometabolic health outcomes in response to coffee and caffeine consumption, albeit the majority of studies have insufficient statistical power to detect significant interaction between these factors and coffee consumption. Conclusion: Several genetic and non-genetic determinants of inter-individual variability in the responses to coffee and caffeine consumption are identified, indicating that some of the health benefits of coffee may only occur in a subgroup of subjects.

Meeting report: plant-rich dietary patterns and health

“…A number of studies were highlighted which used the data stratification approach, (e.g. a critical review of clinical outcomes in response to coffee consumption (9) ). Most studies using this approach do not, however, have enough statistical power to really explore stratification.…”

The association between coffee intake and breast cancer risk: a meta-analysis and dose-response analysis using recent evidence

“…Estrogen has been linked to DNA damage and the stimulation of blood vessels, promoting tumorigenesis (58). Coffee may reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes due to its antioxidative effects and influence on estrogen levels (59,60). However, the incidence of breast cancer has been linked to levels of leptin, which is involved in the JAK/STAT, MAPK, and PI3K pathways and tumor cell-related proliferation.…”

Genome-wide Association Study of Caffeine Consumption Using Coriell Personalized Medicine Collaborative Data

“…There is significant interindividual variability in the consumption of and pharmacodynamic effects of caffeine [4][5][6][7]. Published findings have reported a range of both beneficial and deleterious health effects that often depend on the amount of caffeine consumed, accounting for related factors such as age, gender, and smoking status [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. Many of the health studies evaluating the impact of caffeine have focused on coffee consumption.…”