There is an interesting report in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease (JAD) concerning an association between blood caffeine levels and retarded or blocked progression of dementia in people. (h/t Medscape)
Herewith the relevant portion of the abstract:
Although both human epidemiologic and animal model studies have suggested that caffeine/coffee protects against Alzheimer’s disease, direct human evidence for this premise has been lacking. In the present case-control study, two separate cohorts consisting of 124 total individuals (65-88 years old) were cognitively assessed and a blood sample taken for caffeine/biomarker analysis. Subjects were then monitored for cognitive status over the ensuing 2-4 year period to determine the extent to which initial plasma caffeine/biomarkers levels would be predictive of changes in cognitive status. Plasma caffeine levels at study onset were substantially lower (-51%) in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subjects who later progressed to dementia (MCI→DEM) compared to levels in stable MCI subjects (MCI→MCI). Moreover, none of the MCI→DEM subjects had initial blood caffeine levels that were above a critical level of 1200 ng/ml, while half of stable MCI→MCI subjects had blood caffeine levels higher than that critical level. Thus, plasma caffeine levels greater than 1200 ng/ml (≈ 6 μM) in MCI subjects were associated with no conversion to dementia during the ensuing 2-4 year follow-up period.
To this ripening coffee drinker, this is exciting news. I certainly hope that additional studies bear out this relationship, so I can satisfy my craving for java every day and stay sharp to boot.
