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Acute effect of coffee consumption on arterial stiffness, evaluated using an oscillometric method

Artery Research volume 17, pages 16–32 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

Introduction

Previous studies show contradictory results related to the vascular effects of coffee; they suggest that caffeine increases arterial stiffness and negatively impacts vascular health, the aim of this study is to evaluate the acute coffee effects on the vascular stiffness.

Methods and materials

We carried out a controlled, blind, cohort study in healthy subjects. The acute effect of coffee (caffeinated vs. decaffeinated) was evaluated on arterial stiffness parameters, using a oscillometric method known as Arteriograph® (TensioMed-Budapest-Hungary, Ltd.). Each subject received 14 gr. of caffeinated excelso-coffee (caffeine-151.2 mg) and decaffeinated excelso-coffee (caffeine-3.92 mg), two weeks apart in a random order. The parameters were obtained under stable baseline conditions before drinking the coffee, 30 and 60 min later.

Results

Thirty-two subjects were included, with an age of 46.2 ± 10.4 years, sixteen men. Consumption of caffeinated-coffee at 30 and 60 min increased statistically significant (p < 0.05) brachial-systolic-blood-pressure in 3.9 mmHg and 3.8 mmHg, brachial-diastolic-blood-pressure in 4.1 mmHg and 3.2 mmHg, mean-arterial-pressure in 4.0 mmHg and 3.3 mmHg, central-systolic-blood-pressure in 5.8 mmHg and 7.6 mmHg, brachial-AIX 9.9% and 12.3%, aortic-AIX 5.1% and 6.3%, decreased heart-rate by 4 beats/min and 5 beats/min respectively, and it not demonstrated that had an impact on the pulse wave velocity (p = 0.861). Decaffeinated-coffee increased the braquial-AIX (7.1–10.5%) and aortic-AIX (3.55–5.3%) and decreased the heart-rate (3–4 beats/min).

Conclusions

This study suggests for the first time that drinking caffeinated coffee slightly increases peripheral arterial stiffness at the expense of increased vascular tone in distal arteries without changes in central stiffness. Further studies are needed to clarify whether these effects induced by coffee have an impact on the population health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Vascular Function Research Laboratory, Fundación CardioInfantil — Instituto de Cardiología, Facultad de Medicina — Universidad del Rosario, Calle 163 A número 13B-60, Torre H. 3 Piso, Bogotá, Colombia

    Darío Echeverri, Alejandro Pizano & Félix R. Montes

  2. Non-invasive Vascular Laboratory, Centro de Hipertensión del Servicio de Cardiología del Hospital Universitario Austral, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Pedro Forcada

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  1. Darío Echeverri
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  2. Alejandro Pizano
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  3. Félix R. Montes
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  4. Pedro Forcada
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Correspondence to Alejandro Pizano.

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Echeverri, D., Pizano, A., Montes, F.R. et al. Acute effect of coffee consumption on arterial stiffness, evaluated using an oscillometric method. Artery Res 17, 16–32 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.artres.2017.01.001

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Artery Research

ISSN: 1876-4401

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