Caffeine consumption and cardiovascular health

The effects of caffeine on pancreatic diseases: the known and possible mechanisms

Caffeine, a controversial substance, was once known to be addictive and harmful. In recent years, new effects of caffeine on the human body have been confirmed. Recent research over the past few decades has shown the potential of caffeine in treating pancreas-related diseases. This review aims to analyze the known and possible mechanisms of caffeine on pancreatic diseases and provides an overview of the current research status regarding the correlation between caffeine and pancreatic disease, while enhancing our understanding of their relationship.

Biological properties of caffeine, (+)-catechin, and theobromine: an in silico study

We analyzed here the in silico biological activities of caffeine, (+)-catechin, and theobromine. For this, the PubChem database of the NIH (National Institutes of Health) was used to obtain the SMILE canonical form of the bioactive molecules, and the free software PASS Online (Prediction of Activity Spectra for Substances) from the Way2Drug portal. Also, we conducted an in vitro experiment using a chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cell line (K562) to confirm some results found in in silico investigation. These cells were exposed to different concentrations of caffeine, (+)-catechin, and theobromine for 72 h. The results found in this in silico study suggested that caffeine, (+)-catechin, and theobromine showed excellent biological properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic, as well as protection against cardiovascular, diabetes, neurological, allergic, respiratory, and other therapeutic activities. These findings can be elucidated through the modulation exerted by these bioactive molecules in many biochemical pathways involved in organism homeostasis, such as free radical scavenger action, oxidoreductase inhibitor, membrane permeability inhibitor, and lipid peroxidase inhibitor. In addition, we have found here that caffeine, (+)-catechin, and theobromine have a remarkable anti-inflammatory activity which plays an important role in the therapeutic approach of COVID-19. Moreover, our in vitro findings confirmed the in silico results regarding anticancer activity since these molecules reduce cell proliferation at all tested concentrations. Therefore, since these molecules exhibit important medicinal activities, further investigations should be conducted to reveal new therapies to improve the treatments and prevention of numerous disorders and, consequently, promote human health.

Caffeine Ameliorates Age-Related Hearing Loss by Downregulating the Inflammatory Pathway in Mice

OBJECTIVE

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL), also known as presbycusis, is a debilitating sensory impairment that affects the elderly population. There is currently no ideal treatment for ARHL. Long-term caffeine intake was reported to have anti-aging effects in many diseases. This study is to identify whether caffeine could ameliorate ARHL in mice and analyze its mechanism.

METHODS

Caffeine was administered in drinking water to C57BL/6J mice from the age of 3 months to 12 months. The body weight, food intake and water intake of the mice were monitored during the experiment. The metabolic indicators of serum were detected by ELISA. The function of the hearing system was evaluated by ABR and hematoxylin and eosin staining of the cochlea. Genes' expression were detected by Q-PCR, immunofluorescencee and Western blot.

RESULTS

The results showed that the ARHL mice exhibited impaired hearing and cochlear tissue compared with the young mice. However, the caffeine-treated ARHL mice showed improved hearing and cochlear tissue morphology. The expression of inflammation-related genes, such as TLR4, Myd88, NF-κB, and IL-1β, was significantly increased in the cochleae of ARHL mice compared with young mice but was down-regulated in the caffeine-treated cochleae.

CONCLUSIONS

Inflammation is involved in ARHL of mice, and long-term caffeine supplementation could ameliorate ARHL through the down-regulation of the TLR4/NF-κB inflammation pathway. Our findings provide a new idea for preventing ARHL and suggest new drug targets for ARHL treatment.

Inverse association between caffeine intake and albuminuria in US adults: an analysis of NHANES 2005-2016

OBJECTIVES

Albuminuria is a significant biomarker of various kidney diseases and is associated with renal outcome. Recently, caffeine intake has shown potential renoprotective effects. However, the relationship between caffeine intake and albuminuria remains profoundly elusive.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study aimed to explore the association between caffeine intake and albuminuria in the American adult population using the data acquired from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2016. Caffeine intake was assessed by 24-h dietary recalls, and albuminuria was assessed by albumin-to-creatinine ratio. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to explore the independent association between caffeine intake and albuminuria. Subgroup analysis and interaction tests were also conducted.

RESULTS

Among 23,060 participants, 11.8% of the individuals exhibited albuminuria, and the prevalence of albuminuria decreased with higher caffeine intake tertiles (Tertile 1: 13%; Tertile 2: 11.9%; Tertile 3: 10.5%; P < 0.001). After adjusted potential confounders, the results of logistic regression indicated that a higher caffeine intake was associated with a decreased risk of albuminuria (OR = 0.903; 95% CI: 0.84, 0.97; P = 0.007), especially in females and the participants aged <60 years and chronic kidney disease stage II.

CONCLUSION

The present study first indicated an inverse correlation between caffeine intake and albuminuria, which further confirmed the potentially protective effects of caffeine on the kidney.

Current therapeutic targets and multifaceted physiological impacts of caffeine

Caffeine, which shares consubstantial structural similarity with purine adenosine, has been demonstrated as a nonselective adenosine receptor antagonist for eliciting most of the biological functions at physiologically relevant dosages. Accumulating evidence supports caffeine's beneficial effects against different disorders, such as total cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. Conversely, paradoxical effects are also linked to caffeine ingestion in humans including hypertension-hypotension and tachycardia-bradycardia. These observations suggest the association of caffeine action with its ingested concentration and/or concurrent interaction with preferential molecular targets to direct explicit events in the human body. Thus, a coherent analysis of the functional targets of caffeine, relevant to normal physiology, and disease pathophysiology, is required to understand the pharmacology of caffeine. This review provides a broad overview of the experimentally validated targets of caffeine, particularly those of therapeutic interest, and the impacts of caffeine on organ-specific physiology and pathophysiology. Overall, the available empirical and epidemiological evidence supports the dose-dependent functional activities of caffeine and advocates for further studies to get insights into the caffeine-induced changes under specific conditions, such as asthma, DNA repair, and cancer, in view of its therapeutic applications.

Long-term outcomes from the UK Biobank on the impact of coffee on cardiovascular disease, arrhythmias, and mortality: Does the future hold coffee prescriptions?

INTRODUCTION

Coffee is a popular beverage and the most used psychostimulant worldwide. Habitual coffee consumption has been linked to a growing list of health benefits; however, coffee consumption has been a source of longstanding debate. Recent observational studies have challenged the misconception of caffeine and reported the safety and beneficial effects of coffee intake on a range of cardiovascular (CV) conditions, including coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, heart failure, and stroke, leading to a decreased risk of CVD, all-cause and CVD mortality, and being associated with favorable CV outcomes. However, the mechanisms underlying the protective effects of caffeine remain speculative, and there is a lack of dedicated studies aimed at addressing the impact of different coffee subtypes on clinical outcomes such as CVD, arrhythmia, and mortality. Study and Results: The study included 449,563 UK Biobank participants, free of cardiovascular problems at enrollment (median age 58 years; 55.3% females). The median follow-up time was 12.5 years. Drinking 4 to 5 cups/day of ground (HR 0.83; 95% CI [0.76-0.91];  P  < .0001) or 2 to 3 cups/day of instant (HR, 0.88; 95% CI [0.85-0.92];  P  < .0001) coffee (but not decaffeinated coffee) was associated with a significant reduction in incident arrhythmia, including AF. Habitual coffee intake of up to 5 cups/day was associated with significant reductions in the risk of incident CVD, CHD (HR 0.89, CI [0.86-0.91], P < 0.0001), CCF (HR 0.83, CI [0.79-0.87], P < 0.0001), and ischemic stroke (HR 0.84, CI [0.78-0.90], P < 0.0001). Coffee consumption led to significant reductions in all-cause mortality (HR 0.86, CI [0.83-0.89], P < 0.0001) and CV mortality (HR 0.82, CI [0.74-0.90], P < 0.0001). Consumption of ground coffee at all levels significantly reduced the risk of all-cause and CV mortality. There was no significant difference in the incidence of CVD among all intake categories or across all coffee subtypes.

LESSONS LEARNED

The results from the UK Biobank indicate that mild-to-moderate consumption of all types of coffee is linked to improved CV outcomes and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and death, with caffeinated coffee significantly reducing the risk of arrhythmias, including AF. Daily coffee intake should not be discouraged by physicians, even in the presence of a newly developed cardiovascular disease. Whether coffee will be prescribed in the future to prevent CVD and improve cardiovascular health depends on further evaluation of the physiological mechanisms and elucidation of the specific protective effects of coffee consumption.