Couple of coffees may help some heart patients

LONDON - A couple of cups of coffee a day may help some heart attack patients to avoid further serious problems, provided they have normal blood pressure, researchers said on Friday.

The finding is somewhat surprising, given the fact that strong coffee can cause palpitations, but it underlines the complex nature of coffee's effect on the body.

A study of 374 patients who had a heart attack or other acute coronary event found those with normal blood pressure drinking one or two coffees a day were 88 percent less likely than non-coffee drinkers to develop a condition in which the heart fails to pump blood effectively.