Association between metabolic syndrome and coffee consumption in the Korean population by gender: a cross-sectional study in Korea.

Abstract

We conducted this cross-sectional study to identify the association between coffee consumption and risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in the Korean population. Subjects aged 30-79 years in the Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2010 and 2011 were included (n=8,246). The self-reported frequency of coffee consumption was classified as non-drinker, <1, 1, 2, and >=3 cups/day. The MetS prevalence was 33.6% in men (n=1,149) and 26.1% in women (n=1,388). Among women, the level of coffee consumption was inversely associated with MetS and each component (p for trend 0.002 for abdominal obesity and <0.001 for others). The dose-response inverse association remained significant between coffee consumption and MetS, high triglyceride, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p for trend 0.001, 0.009, and <0.001, respectively; adjusted for age and body mass index). Compared with women who did not consume coffee, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for MetS was 0.57 (95% CI, 0.38- 0.86) for women who consumed >=3 cups per day (p for trend 0.002). Among women, excluding those receiving medical treatments for hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia, a significantly lower OR for MetS (0.53, 95% CI 0.31-0.93) was observed with coffee consumption >=3 cups, and the dose-response inverse association remained significant (p for trend 0.008). In men, there were no significant associations between coffee consumption and MetS. In conclusion, coffee consumption is associated with a lower risk of MetS among Korean women. There was a dose-response inverse relationship between coffee consumption and the prevalence of MetS in Korean women.