New research suggests that drinking a few cups of coffee daily modestly reduces the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.

Researchers found that drinking three to five cups of coffee could cut an individual's heart disease mortality risk by up to 21 percent.

"It is important to acknowledge factors which might have a protective effect against cardiovascular disease mortality," researcher Doutor António Vaz Carneiro said in a statement. "Moderate coffee consumption could play a significant role in reducing cardiovascular disease mortality risk which would impact health outcomes and healthcare spending across Europe."

Coronary heart disease and stroke remain the primary cause of death across Europe, responsible for 51 percent of all deaths in women and 42 percent of all deaths in men. Over four million people die from heart disease annually in Europe and overall, it is estimated to cost the EU economy billions of dollar every year.

The findings highlight the research presented at a Satellite Symposium held during the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation 2015 congress in Lisbon, Portugal, on the subject of "Coffee and CVD Mortality." Leading researchers in this field presented on the role of lifestyle factors in cardiovascular mortality risk reduction, the epidemiological evidence on coffee and CVD mortality, and the conclusions from meta-analyses on coffee and CVD mortality.

The reason behind the coffee and cardiovascular disease mortality risk associations are unclear, however areas of interest for future research include the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of coffee, and the known association between coffee consumption and type 2 diabetes risk reduction as CVD mortality is typically higher in this group.