Many enjoy a cup of coffee or two to perk them up in the morning. However, a new study conducted by researchers at Emory University in Atlanta suggests that consuming caffeine may cause or exacerbate male incontinence. Indeed, the study found that men who consumed the most caffeine daily tended to have the worst incontinence problems.

Caffeine has been linked to incontinence problems in women before, but not men. The study examined the responses of 4,000 men who had been part of a national health survey in 2005 and 2008. In general, the men consumed an average of 169 milligrams of caffeine each day, more than the typical 125 milligrams of caffeine found in a cup of coffee, reports Reuters Health. In total, 13 percent of the men reported mild incontinence, and only 4.5 percent of men reported having incontinence that was mild or severe.

When researchers adjusted for age and other risk factors, they found that men who consumed 234 milligrams of caffeine each day - a little less than two cups of coffee - were 72 percent more likely to suffer from moderate or severe incontinence than men who consumed the least amount of caffeine.

However, researchers note that the problem of incontinence is not linked to how much liquid that men ingest. Men who drank a lot of water were no more or less likely to suffer from incontinence than men who did not. Researchers believe that certain properties in caffeine irritate the bladder, which has been suggested by some studies conducted with women.

Around 25 million people in the United States suffer from incontinence. Though it is not a normal part of aging, the risk of incontinence increases with age, especially for people over the age of 65.

It is estimated that 85 percent of Americans consume caffeine regularly, either from beverages like coffee, tea or soda, or foods like candy and ice cream.

The study was published in the Journal of Urology.

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