Acute impact of drinking coffee on the cerebral and systemic vasculature

Abstract

Previous studies have suggested that the risk of ischemic stroke increases immediately after drinking coffee. Indeed, drinking coffee, that is, caffeine, acutely increases arterial stiffness as well as blood pressure and peripheral vascular resistance. On the other hand, it has been reported that arterial stiffening is associated with elevation in the pulsatility index (PI) of cerebral blood flow (CBF), which increases the risk of brain disease. However, the effect of drinking coffee on the PI of the CBF and its interaction with arterial stiffness remain unknown. Against this background, we hypothesized that an acute increase in arterial stiffness induced by drinking coffee augments cerebral pulsatile stress. To test this hypothesis, in 10 healthy young men we examined the effects of drinking coffee on the PI of middle cerebral artery blood velocity (MCAv) and brachial‐ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) as indices of cerebral pulsatile stress and arterial stiffness, respectively. Mean arterial blood pressure and baPWV were higher (P < 0.01 and P = 0.02), whereas mean MCAV and mean cerebrovascular conductance index were lower upon drinking coffee (P = 0.02 and P < 0.01) compared with a placebo (decaffeinated coffee). However, there was no difference in the PI of MCAv between drinking coffee and the placebo condition. These findings suggest that drinking coffee does not increase cerebral pulsatile stress acutely despite an elevation in arterial stiffness in the systemic circulation.

Bioactive Compounds and Their Effect on Blood Pressure—A Review

“…After a 10-min baseline measurement, the participant would drink either coffee or the placebo. The study showed that mean arterial pressure and systolic blood pressure were higher at times of 30 and 60 min after drinking the coffee when compared to the placebo [ 52 ].…”

Coffee in hypertensive women with asymptomatic peripheral arterial disease: a potential nutraceutical effect

“…14 However, the analysis adjusted for some cardiovascular risk factors suggests a direct action of coffee on vessels. 3,14,15 Rhee et al 16 found that caffeinated coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and caffeine are not risk factors for hypertension in postmenopausal women. The European Food Safety Authority recently published a scientific opinion on the safety of caffeine and noted that caffeine consumption, at single doses ranging from 80 to 300 mg, acutely increases BP, which reaches a peak 30 min after consumption and then returns to baseline after 2-4 h in the adult population.…”

Neuroprotective Effects of Coffee Bioactive Compounds: A Review

“…In turn, a study conducted by Mostofsky et al [ 270 ] found an increase in the hazard ratio of an ischemic stroke within 60 min after drinking coffee. Likewise, an acute increase in the risk of ischemic stroke was observed immediately after drinking coffee by Washio et al [ 271 ], but as these authors emphasized, the reason of observed coffee impact may be caused by other factors rather than an elevation in pressure in the cerebral circulation [ 271 ].…”