A Cross-Sectional Study to Identify a Possible Relationship Between Coffee Consumption and Metabolic Syndrome Based on the 5th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2010 (KNHANES V-1) Data

Background: There is a growing interest in the effects of coffee consumption on the human health. This study was conducted to identify a causal relationship between the coffee consumption and the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Methods: We analyzed the data of the 5th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2010 for the current study. Results: The risk of MetS, high triglyceride (TG) and low high-density lipid-cholesterol (HDL-C), was significantly lower in the female subjects with a daily amount of coffee consumption of ≥ 3 cups as compared with those with a daily amount of coffee consumption of < 1 cup. There was a significant dose-response inverse correlation between the amount of coffee consumption and the risk factors of MetS (high TG and low HDL-C) after the adjustment of multiple confounding factors (P=0.015 and 0.011, respectively). There was also a modest dose-response relationship between the amount of coffee consumption and MetS (P=0.056). There was no significant correlation between the amount of coffee consumption and MetS in the male subjects. Conclusions: The coffee consumption might have a beneficial effect in lowering the risk of MetS. The current results suggest that it would be mandatory to consider individuals’ recognition of health impacts of coffee consumption.