Drinking coffee cuts Alzheimer's disease risk

By David Liu and editing by Sheilah Downey

Drinking caffeine-laced coffee at midlife may reduce risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in the Jan. 2009 issue of Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

The study led by Eskelinen M H at the University of Kuopio in Finland found those who drank 3 to 5 cups of coffee per day at midlife were at 65 percent reduced risk for Alzheimer's disease compared to those who drank little coffee.

Caffeine found in coffee and tea is known to stimulate central nervous system on a short term, but its long term effects remain unknown.

Eskelinen and colleagues examined data from 1409 participants aged 65 to 79 who entered the study in 1972, 1977, 1982 and 1987. These subjects were reexamined in 1998.

During the average 21-year followup, 61 cases of dementia, with 48 being Alzheimer's disease, were recorded.

The researchers found an association between coffee drinking at midlife and lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease later in life.

No obvious association was observed with tea which also contains caffeine.

"Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible progressive brain disease and slowly destroys memory and thinking skills," the U.S. National Institute on Aging states on its website. There is no cure for the disease.

An estimated 2 to 4 million Americans live with Alzheimer's disease. The disease occurs in people mostly at the age of 60 years or older.