衆所周知，高血壓會減少動脈彈性，導致動脈硬化，誘發心臟病和中風。研究人員以島上485名年齡介於65歲至100歲的高血壓患者爲研究對象，發現56%的人動脈非常健康，可與年輕人相比。原來他們每天都喝1—2杯希臘濃咖啡;另有10%的人每天喝3杯以上，但其動脈彈性反而最差。

　　雅典大學主導該研究的克里斯蒂娜博士表示，每天適量飲用咖啡有助於提高主動脈擴張功能。希臘咖啡是以傳統方法煮泡，不經過濾，因而含有更多的預防心臟病的化合物。咖啡裏的咖啡因和抗氧化成分能顯著提升動脈功能，但是多喝無益。此外，喝咖啡還有另一項鮮爲人知的好處，就是社交。在咖啡館裏與朋友一邊聊天，一邊喝咖啡，對於精神健康大有裨益。

　　這項研究發表在斯德哥爾摩舉行的“歐洲心血管學會”大會上。(編譯：黃偉 )

　　以下是英文報道：(來源: the medguru.com)

　　Coffee key to long life--study

　　Contrary to the conventional belief, sipping a cup of hot coffee could work wonders for your heart by regulating heart rhythms, thereby reducing the number of visits to doctor, reveals a new study.

　　Drinking one to two cups of coffee per day is good for the heart, researchers have found.

　　In fact, even those with high blood pressure

　　can stay healthier by drinking a cup of coffee daily, the study proposed.

　　Previously it was believed that drinking coffee caused disturbances in heartbeat rate, leading to heart diseases, although some experts still believe that regular coffee drinkers are at a higher risk for heart attacks.

　　Details of the study:

　　In a bid to assess the potential benefits and risks associated with coffee intake, researchers at the University of Athens conducted a study on 485 elderly people with high blood pressure (BP) orhypertension.

　　The volunteers, all aged between 65 and 100, were long-term residents of Greek island of 'Ikaria', which is known as the "land of longevity" and a third of residents reach the age of 90 years.

　　Most of them drank traditional strong Greek coffee in small cups of between 25ml and 50ml each.

　　Interestingly, people in Ikaria are 20 percent less likely to have cancer, have half the rate of heart disease risk, and virtually no dementia as compared with the people from Western countries.

　　Study results:

　　It was found that drinking a cup of coffee everyday improves elasticity of the arteries, which can ward off heart disease, the Daily Mail reported.

　　"People who reported four or more cups a day had almost an 18% reduction in the risk of being hospitalized for rhythm disturbances," says Arthur Klatsky, a senior cardiology consultant at Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in California.

　　Fifty six percent of people who drank between one and two cups of coffee a day had best arterial health, with their blood vessels behaving like those found in younger people.

　　The study also took into account other factors that would influence blood vessel health, including age, gender, physical activity, body weight, and diabetes.

　　Dr Christina Chrysohoou, who presented the findings at Stockholm, said, “The study revealed that moderate coffee consumption, between one and two cups per day, is associated with higher values of aortic distensibility when compared with other hypertensive elderly individuals taking less coffee.”

　　Greek coffee is traditionally boiled and not filtered so is higher in compounds that prevent heart disease, Dr Chrysohoou averred.

　　Coffee improves heart health:

　　The findings also suggested that there might be a link between moderate coffee consumption and reduced risks of heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, and poor kidney function.

　　It is believed that chemicals in the coffee improve heart health by preventing damage caused by oxygen molecules and blocking harmful nitric oxide. These nutrients include flavonoids, magnesium, potassium, niacin, and vitamin E, which combat the harmful effect of oxygen on cells.

　　The study findings have been released at 'European Society of Cardiology Congress' in Stockholm.