High consumption of coffee is associated with decreased multiple sclerosis risk; results from two independent studies

• Published in: Journal of neurology, neurosurgery and psychiatry Vol. 87; no. 5; pp. 454 - 460
• Main Authors: Hedström, A K, Mowry, E M, Gianfrancesco, M A, Shao, X, Schaefer, C A, Shen, L, Olsson, T, Barcellos, L F, Alfredsson, L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group LTD 01.05.2016; BMJ Publishing Group
• Series: Research paper
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Alzheimer's disease; Body mass index; Caffeine; Cardiovascular disease; Case-Control Studies; Coffee; Drinking; Female; Health risk assessment; Humans; Male; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Multiple Sclerosis; Multiple Sclerosis - epidemiology; Population; Protective Factors; Questionnaires; Retrospective Studies; Sweden - epidemiology; United States - epidemiology; Young Adult; United States; Sweden; United States > US; California
• ISSN: 0022-3050; 1468-330X; 1468-330X
• DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2015-312176

ObjectivePrevious studies on consumption of caffeine and risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) have yielded inconclusive results. We aimed to investigate whether consumption of coffee is associated with risk of MS.MethodsUsing two population-representative case–control studies (a Swedish study comprising 1620 cases and 2788 controls, and a US study comprising 1159 cases and 1172 controls), participants with different habits of coffee consumption based on retrospective data collection were compared regarding risk of MS, by calculating ORs with 95% CIs. Logistic regression models were adjusted for a broad range of potential confounding factors.ResultsCompared with those who reported no coffee consumption, the risk of MS was substantially reduced among those who reported a high consumption of coffee exceeding 900 mL daily (OR 0.70 (95% CI 0.49 to 0.99) in the Swedish study, and OR 0.69 (95% CI 0.50 to 0.96) in the US study). Lower odds of MS with increasing consumption of coffee were observed, regardless of whether coffee consumption at disease onset or 5 or 10 years prior to disease onset was considered.ConclusionsIn accordance with studies in animal models of MS, high consumption of coffee may decrease the risk of developing MS. Caffeine, one component of coffee, has neuroprotective properties, and has been shown to suppress the production of proinflammatory cytokines, which may be mechanisms underlying the observed association. However, further investigations are needed to determine whether exposure to caffeine underlies the observed association and, if so, to evaluate its mechanisms of action.