CHRONIC CONSUMERS OF BOILED COFFEE HAVE ELEVATED SERUM LEVELS OF LIPOPROTEIN(A)

Objectives. Lipoprotein(a) consists of an LDL-particle attached to apo lipoprotein(a), which is made by the liver. Diterpenes present in boil ed coffee raise serum levels of LDL cholesterol and of the liver enzym e alanine aminotransferase in man. We investigated the association bet ween intake of boiled coffee and serum levels of lipoprotein(a). Desig n, setting and subjects, Healthy Norwegians 40-42 years of age, who ha bitually consumed five or more cups of boiled coffee per day (n = 150) were compared with matched filter coffee consumers (n = 159) in a cro ss-sectional study, as part of the Norwegian National Health Screening in 1992. Results. The median lipoprotein(a) level was 13.0 mg dL(-1) (10th and 90th percentile: 2.5 and 75.0 mg dL(-1), respectively) on bo iled and 7.9 mg dL(-1) (10th and 90th percentile: 1.9 and 62.5 mg dL(- 1), respectively) on filter coffee (P = 0.048). Means+/-SE were 25.8+/ -2.4 mg dL(-1) and 19.6+/-2.0 mg dL(-1), respectively (P = 0.04). Alth ough not statistically significant, subjects consuming nine or more cu ps of coffee per day had higher lipoprotein(a) levels than those drink ing five to eight cups per day in both coffee groups. Conclusion. Chro nic consumers of unfiltered, boiled coffee have higher serum levels of lipoprotein(a) than filter coffee drinkers.