@article {Svatune001946, author = {{\r A}sne Lirhus Svatun and Maja-Lisa L{\o}chen and Dag Steinar Thelle and Tom Wilsgaard}, title = {Association between espresso coffee and serum total cholesterol: the Troms{\o} Study 2015{\textendash}2016}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, elocation-id = {e001946}, year = {2022}, doi = {10.1136/openhrt-2021-001946}, publisher = {Archives of Disease in childhood}, abstract = {Background Coffee raises serum cholesterol because of its diterpenes, cafestol and kahweol, and the effect varies by brewing method. Population-based research on espresso coffee{\textquoteright}s impact on serum cholesterol is scarce. Our aim was to examine how various brewing methods, in particular espresso, were associated with serum total cholesterol (S-TC).Methods We used cross-sectional population data from the seventh survey of the Troms{\o} Study in Northern Norway (N=21 083, age >=40 years). Multivariable linear regression was used to assess the association between S-TC as the dependent variable and each level of coffee consumption using 0 cups as the reference level, adjusting for relevant covariates and testing for sex differences.Results Consumption of 3{\textendash}5 cups of espresso daily was significantly associated with increased S-TC (0.09 mmol/L, 95\% CI 0.01 to 0.17 for women and 0.16 mmol/L, 95\% CI 0.07 to 0.24 for men), compared with participants drinking 0 cups of espresso per day. Consumption of >=6 cups of boiled/plunger coffee daily was also associated with increased S-TC (0.30 mmol/L, 95\% CI 0.13 to 0.48 for women and 0.23 mmol/L, 95\% CI 0.08 to 0.38 for men), compared with participants drinking 0 cups of boiled/plunger coffee. Consumption of >=6 cups of filtered coffee daily was associated with 0.11 mmol/L (95\% CI 0.03 to 0.19) higher S-TC levels for women but not for men. Instant coffee consumption had a significant linear trend but showed no dose{\textendash}response relationship when excluding participants not drinking instant coffee. There were significant sex differences for all coffee types except boiled/plunger coffee.Conclusion Espresso coffee consumption was associated with increased S-TC with significantly stronger association for men compared with women. Boiled/plunger coffee was associated with increased S-TC in both sexes and with similar magnitude as shown in previous research. Filtered coffee was associated with a small increase in S-TC in women. Further research on espresso and S-TC is warranted.Data may be obtained from a third party and are not publicly available. The legal restriction on data availability is set by the Troms{\o} Study Data and Publication Committee in order to control for data sharing, including publication of datasets with the potential of reverse identification of deidentified sensitive participant information. The data can, however, be made available from the Troms{\o} Study upon application to the Troms{\o} Study Data and Publication Committee. Contact information: The Troms{\o} Study, Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway; email: tromsous@uit.no.}, URL = {https://openheart.bmj.com/content/9/1/e001946}, eprint = {https://openheart.bmj.com/content/9/1/e001946.full.pdf}, journal = {Open Heart} }