Drinking more coffee could result in fewer heart attacks among people with certain inflammatory illnesses. That’s according to research that was just published in the journal Rheumatology. Doctors have known for a while now that a diet rich in Vitamins A and D can reduce inflammatory conditions, so they wondered if caffeine could provide benefits as well.

Heart attacks and strokes remain the leading causes of death among Americans, particularly as a result of vascular disease and damaged blood vessels. People with inflammatory rheumatic diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis face even higher risks of heart attacks and strokes. This is due to the conditions themselves as well as the cortisone derivatives used to treat them.

Doctors from Sapienza University of Rome, in Italy, decided to see whether caffeine intake could improve vascular health among these types of patients. The results of their research show that caffeine from coffee, tea, and chocolate helps to strengthen endothelial progenitor cells. These cells are responsible for vascular growth and regenerating the lining of blood vessels.

The researchers studied the health of the blood vessels of 31 lupus patients and had them fill out a seven-day food and drink questionnaire. The patients who consumed coffee during the week had measurably better results in endothelial cells after the week was up. The paper’s authors now plan to conduct a longitudinal study to determine the real effects of coffee consumption over time.

There have been many studies on the health effects of caffeine consumption in relation to cardiovascular health, but they’ve often had conflicting results. Caffeine has been proven to have an anti-inflammatory effect, however. If it can in fact help to regulate inflammation in patients with rheumatic diseases, doctors believe it could be a big quality-of-life enhancer for them.