Caffeine consumption and mortality in chronic kidney disease: a nationally representative analysis

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Epidemiology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• General population studies show coffee consumption inversely correlates with mortality.
• The impact of caffeine intake on mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between caffeine consumption and all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality in US adults with CKD.
• To analyze caffeine consumption's impact based on its source (coffee, tea, soft drinks).

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 4863 non-institutionalized US adults with CKD from the NHANES 1999-2010 dataset.
• Caffeine intake assessed via 24-hour dietary recalls; mortality data collected through December 2011.
• Participants categorized into quartiles of caffeine consumption (<28.2 mg/day to >213.5 mg/day).

Main Results:

• A median follow-up of 60 months revealed 1283 deaths.
• Higher quartiles of caffeine consumption (Q2, Q3, Q4) showed significantly lower adjusted hazard ratios for all-cause mortality compared to the lowest quartile (Q1).
• No significant interactions were found between caffeine consumption quartiles and CKD stage or albuminuria levels regarding all-cause mortality.

Conclusions:

• An inverse association exists between caffeine consumption and all-cause mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease.
• Caffeine intake may offer a protective effect against mortality in the CKD population.