Coffee Intake and Multiple Sclerosis Disability

Introduction: Previous studies on caffeine and risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) yielded different results; one study suggests a positive effect on disease progression.Our aim was to examine associations between coffee consumption, demographic and clinic characteristics.Material and Methods: Questionnaires were applied to 126 MS patients.Severity was evaluated by EDSS, 9-HPT, T25-FW and SDMT.High coffee intake was considered ≥4 cups/day; lifetime consumption was calculated multiplying espressos per day by years of consumption.Results: Our cohort had an average age of 45.3 years and 60.3% were women.Mean age of MS onset was 29.7 years and mean duration of disease 15.6 years.Seventy-nine percent had relapsing-remitting MS; 50% had EDSS 0-3.5, 35.7% EDSS=3.5-6.0, and 14.3% EDSS≥6.0.A third were current/past smokers.Regular coffee intake was observed for 78.6% and high coffee intake was present in 17.2%.Men had more high coffee intake (29% vs 10.3%, p=0.03) but total consumption was not different between genders (p=0.48).High coffee intake and total coffee consumption was associated with higher smoking habits (3.85 vs 0 pack-years, p=0.01; r=0.29, p<0.001).No significant association was found between EDSS and high intake or total coffee consumption (3 vs 3.5, p=0.79; r=0.06, p=0.48).Also, we did not find any differences regarding coffee intake and performance in 9-HPT, T25-FW and SDMT.Conclusion: In our cohort, coffee consumption does not seem to have a role in progression of disability.Further studies are required to access this association and to evaluate the mechanisms by which coffee may be acting in MS.