October 16, 2026, 8:01 am | Read time: 5 minutes
In Germany, about 100,000 people suffer from venous thrombosis each year, and more than 900,000 are affected by its consequences.1 Those who have already had a thrombosis or even a resulting pulmonary embolism must expect another blood clot. Besides medication, lifestyle habits could also play a role in the risk of recurrence. Norwegian researchers have therefore investigated whether there is a connection between coffee consumption and recurring thromboses–with interesting findings.
Coffee Consumption Linked to Lower Thrombosis Risk
Moderate coffee consumption was associated with a lower risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism in the Norwegian study. Participants who drank one to two cups of coffee daily had an estimated 50 percent lower risk of recurrence compared to those who completely abstained from coffee. However, the observational study cannot determine whether coffee itself was responsible for this difference.
How the Study Was Conducted
A venous thromboembolism (VTE) occurs when a blood clot blocks a vein. This includes deep vein thrombosis, usually in the legs, and pulmonary embolisms. In the latter, a blood clot travels through the bloodstream to the lungs and blocks a vessel there. According to the study authors, about one-third of those affected suffer another thromboembolism within ten years. Anticoagulants reduce the risk of recurrence but increase the risk of severe bleeding with prolonged use. Researchers are therefore looking for other influencing factors.
Previous studies have already suggested that coffee drinkers are less likely to experience a VTE for the first time. Whether coffee also affects the risk of recurrence was previously unclear. To investigate this, Norwegian researchers analyzed data from 2,071 people from two large Norwegian population studies who had experienced a thrombosis or pulmonary embolism for the first time. They had previously reported their coffee consumption via a questionnaire. The results were published in the journal “Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis.”2
The researchers categorized participants into five groups–from no coffee consumption to more than six cups daily–and recorded recurrent thromboses and pulmonary embolisms. Half of the participants were observed for more than 2.8 years, the other half for a shorter period. Factors such as age, gender, body weight, smoking, and cardiovascular diseases were considered.
Connection Depends on the Cause of Thrombosis
During the follow-up period, 310 of the 2,071 participants experienced another thromboembolism. While moderate coffee consumption of one to two cups showed the lowest risk of recurrence, higher amounts of coffee did not lead to a further reduction in risk. In the overall analysis, amounts of more than two cups daily no longer reached statistical significance, while they remained associated with a significantly lower risk in provoked thromboses.
Another analysis showed that the cause of the first thromboembolism also appeared to play a role. The connection was particularly pronounced in patients whose first thromboembolism occurred in connection with known risk factors such as surgery or prolonged immobility. For them, the statistically determined risk of recurrence was about two-thirds lower with a consumption of one to two cups daily compared to those who did not drink coffee.
In contrast, when the first thromboembolism occurred without a recognizable trigger, the researchers found no corresponding connection between coffee consumption and the risk of recurrence.
As a possible explanation for this difference, the scientists suggest that temporary triggers such as surgery disappear after recovery. The remaining baseline risk is then lower, so the mild anticoagulant effect of coffee might be sufficient. In unprovoked thromboses, however, permanent risk factors often persist. Laboratory studies also show that coffee ingredients can inhibit the clumping of blood platelets and reduce certain coagulation factors.
Warning Signs That Indicate Thrombosis
In These Individuals, Drinking Three to Four Cups of Coffee Daily Slows Biological Aging
Study Assessment
The strengths of the study include the careful verification of thromboses and pulmonary embolisms and the recording of coffee consumption before the first illness. However, the observational study cannot prove that coffee itself reduces the risk of recurrence. Other lifestyle or health factors could have influenced the results. It also remained unclear whether participants changed their drinking habits after the first thromboembolism and how long they took anticoagulant medications.
The authors also point out that the results were obtained from a Norwegian, almost exclusively white population and may not be directly applicable to other ethnic groups. To check the influence of medication intake, the researchers also conducted an additional analysis with a later observation start after the usual acute therapy–the result remained essentially unchanged.
The researchers therefore emphasize that further studies are necessary to confirm the results. A recommendation to specifically drink coffee to prevent recurrent thromboses cannot be derived from this. Coffee also does not replace anticoagulant treatment.
Also of interest: Warning signs that indicate thrombosis
What Previous Studies Showed
Earlier investigations by the same Norwegian research group already suggested a connection between coffee and thromboses. In a study published in 2025 with data from more than 112,000 participants, people who drank one to two cups of coffee daily had a lower risk of experiencing a thromboembolism for the first time.3 This was particularly evident in pulmonary embolisms: Here, the statistically determined risk was about 28 percent lower than in people who did not consume coffee. In this study, too, the potential benefit did not increase with larger amounts of coffee. A Dutch study also provided a possible explanation. Coffee drinkers showed lower levels of certain coagulation factors in their blood.4
However, other data urge caution. An analysis using data from the UK’s UK Biobank and Finland’s FinnGen study used genetic markers associated with coffee consumption.5 Such analyses are intended to better show whether a factor actually has a causal effect. The researchers found no evidence that coffee reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases, including thromboses. They therefore consider it possible that the results of previous observational studies were distorted by other factors.