Effect of dietary caffeine on airway reactivity in asthma

The potential influence of dietary caffeine on bronchoprovocation challenges with carbachol was examined in 7 patients with asymptomatic asthma. In a double-blind fashion placebo or caffeine (6 mg/kg body weight; equivalent to approximately 4 cups of coffee) solved in orange juice was administered, and carbachol challenges were performed. The average peak serum concentration achieved 60 min after dosing was 7.6 +/- SD 2.1 mg/l. These caffeine levels did not produce any appreciable attenuation of the bronchoconstrictor response to carbachol inhalations. It thus appears that dietary caffeine is barely a cause of erroneous interpretations of bronchoprovocation challenges with carbachol.