Caffeine intake and cardiometabolic risk factors in adolescents in the United States

In adults, caffeine has protective effects against kidney dysfunction and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) but increases the risk of acute blood pressure (BP) elevation and dyslipidemia. These relationships are unclear in adolescents. This study aimed to determine the association between caffeine intake and markers of childhood cardiometabolic risk, hypothesizing that higher caffeine intake would be associated with elevated BP and dyslipidemia but improved kidney function and insulin sensitivity.

Adolescents ages 13-17 who participated in the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2011 to 2018 and completed 24-h dietary recalls were included. Logistic and linear regression models were used to analyze cross-sectional associations between caffeine and cardiometabolic risk factors.

The mean participant age was 15.0 years, with a sex distribution of 49.9% male and 50.1% female. In fully adjusted regression models, higher caffeine intake was not associated with any changes in BP (OR = 0.78, 95%CI [0.52,1.16], p = 0.21), dyslipidemia (OR = 0.91, 95%CI [0.65,1.27], p = 0.57), glomerular hyperfiltration (OR = 1.01, 95%CI [0.60,1.71], p = 0.96), albuminuria (OR = 0.94, 95%CI [0.45,1.98], p = 0.87), or insulin resistance (OR = 1.15, 95%CI [0.85,1.56], p = 0.36).

Contrary to its cardiometabolic effects in adults, caffeine intake was not associated with an increased or reduced risk of kidney dysfunction, T2DM, hypertension, or dyslipidemia in adolescents.

Although the effects of caffeine intake on cardiometabolic risk have been well defined in adults, data exploring its impact on adolescent cardiovascular and metabolic function is limited. The goal of this study was to understand the relationship between caffeine intake and markers of childhood cardiometabolic risk. Unlike its established effects in adults, caffeine consumption showed no association with markers of cardiometabolic disease, such as kidney dysfunction, type 2 diabetes mellitus, blood pressure, dyslipidemia, or hyperuricemia in adolescents. These findings offer novel insight into the effects of caffeine on cardiometabolic function in adolescents, which may guide clinical recommendations for at-risk patients.