Caffeine Intake and Cognitive Function Among US Adults Aged 60+: Insights From NHANES 2011-2014

Caffeine, often consumed as a central nervous system stimulant, is proposed to have neuroprotective benefits, but there is limited evidence from population studies on its association with cognitive function.

The analysis in this cross-sectional study involved 2461 US adults aged 60 and older, based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from the 2011 to 2014 cycle. Caffeine intake was assessed via 24 h dietary recall, and cognitive function was evaluated using a composite score derived from Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD), Animal Fluency Test (AFT) and Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the association between caffeine intake and cognitive function. Restricted cubic splines (RCS) were employed to explore dose-response relationships, and subgroup and sensitivity analyses were conducted.

Higher caffeine intake was significantly associated with lower odds of poor cognitive function. In fully adjusted models, each 80 mg/day increase in caffeine intake was associated with a 12% reduced risk (OR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.78-0.99, p = 0.035). Individuals in the highest quartile for caffeine intake had a 42.5% decreased risk of poor cognitive function compared to those in the lowest quartile (OR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.40-0.83, p = 0.006). RCS analysis revealed a predominantly linear inverse association between caffeine intake and poor cognitive function (p overall = 0.002). These findings were shown to be robust through subgroup and sensitivity analyses.

Higher levels of caffeine intake appear to be connected with superior cognitive function among older adults. Longitudinal studies are required to determine causality.