Moderate, high caffeine intake may protect against diabetic retinopathy
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Key takeaways:
- Moderate and high caffeine intake was associated with reduced risk for diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes.
- No association was found between coffee and tea consumption and diabetic retinopathy.
Caffeine may offer a dose-dependent protective effect against the development of diabetic retinopathy, according to data published in Nutrients.
“Our results suggest a protective effect of moderate and high (Q2 and Q4) daily caffeine intake and the presence of [diabetic retinopathy],” Nuria Alcubierre, MSc, PhD, a nutritionist at Avantmedic Center in Lleida, Spain, and colleagues wrote. “However, no association was found between coffee and tea consumption, the main food sources of caffeine, and the presence of [diabetic retinopathy] in these individuals.”
Seeking to examine the potential benefits of caffeine intake against development of diabetic retinopathy, researchers conducted a cross-sectional study of individuals aged 40 to 75 years with type 2 diabetes, of whom 144 had diabetic retinopathy and 147 did not. Participants were asked to complete a food frequency questionnaire and self-report how often they consumed caffeine over the past year.
When asked about specific sources of caffeine, 89.5% of participants reported drinking coffee, 6.72% reported drinking light soft drinks, 1.56% reported drinking soft drinks and 0.87% reported drinking tea and infusions.
According to adjusted-multivariable analysis, moderate (OR = 0.35; P = .011) and high (OR = 0.35; P = .01) caffeine intake had a protective effect against diabetic retinopathy. However, researchers reported no significant association between coffee and tea intake and presence of diabetic retinopathy.
“Our results suggest a dose-dependent protective effect of caffeine in the development of [diabetic retinopathy], while the potential benefits of antioxidants in coffee and tea should also be considered,” Alcubierre and colleagues wrote. “Further research is needed to establish the benefits and mechanisms of caffeinated beverages in the development of [diabetic retinopathy].”
Perspective
Back to Top
As the incidence of diabetes increases worldwide, diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy (DR) is expected to similarly become more common. Researchers, doctors and patients are eager to find ways to prevent negative outcomes from diabetes and reduce the risk and impact of DR. The research presented is an important start to discovering ways to protect the retina from potential damage caused by DR.
The results of this study, however, should not encourage optometrists to begin prescribing topical caffeine drops to their diabetic patients, especially since the researchers noted that the protective effects of caffeine on retinal cells were limited in human models. Eye care professionals can correctly surmise from this study that a single nutrient or supplement cannot provide a silver-bullet cure or protection from DR. We should continue to advocate for overall health — managing weight and blood pressure, regular exercise, consuming whole foods and avoiding processed sugar — as the best way to prevent, treat and maintain health and vision in diabetic patients. This study is encouraging, however, and we hope that future studies will add more tools to help prevent, manage and treat DR.
Collapse
Read more about
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts