Beneficial Effect of Coffee in Dialysis Patients

Julius Schorzman

Coffee is arguably the most popular beverage worldwide yet its impact on renal disease is largely unknown and its effect on dialysis patients is even more obscure.

There have been many claims of medicinal or health benefits for drinking coffee. Studies have shown apparent reductions in the risks of:

• Alzheimer's disease


• Parkinson's disease


• Heart disease


• Diabetes mellitus type 2


• Cirrhosis of the liver


• Gout.

Recently a small study has reported that dialysis patients who drink coffee were more likely to have lower cholesterol. Of the 30 patients studied 26 were on peritoneal dialysis and only 4 were on hemodialysis.

The patients were divided into two groups. Group I patients drank 1-3 cups of coffee per day for 2 years prior to the study. The second group consisted of patients who self reported no intake of caffeinated coffee over the same period.

The investigators reported that serum lipid profile, anthropometric and bioimpedance measurements, and laboratory indices of nutrition and inflammation status were examined for both groups.

Patients in Group I had higher levels of HDL and lower LDL when compared to group II. Patients in group I were also found to have lower waist and hip circumferences, a lower waist/height ratio, a lower fat body mass, and a higher lean body mass as a percentage of total body mass.

These finding when taken together suggest that dialysis patients who drink coffee may be more likely to have a more favorable lipid profile as well as higher lean body mass and a lower body mass index.

ABSTRACT BELOW:

We checked whether dialysis patients who drink coffee might have a serum lipid profile different from that of nondrinkers of coffee. The study was performed in 30 patients (26 on peritoneal dialysis, 4 on hemodialysis). Group I included patients who drank 1 - 3 cups of coffee daily (140 - 420 mg caffeine) for at least 2 years before the study [n = 11; dialysis vintage: 29.1 months (range: 8.7 - 59.6 months); age: 56.0 +/- 14.6 years]. Group II consisted of patients who said that they were nondrinkers of caffeinated coffee [n = 19; dialysis vintage: 15.2 months (range: 6.3 - 45.4 months); age: 56.3 +/- 19.8 years). Serum lipid profile, anthropometric and bioimpedance measurements, and laboratory indices of nutrition and inflammation status were examined. Compared with group II, group I showed higher serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (45.1 +/- 12.8 mg/dL vs. 37.7 +/- 6.6 mg/dL, p = 0.045) and lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (104.7 +/- 15.7 mg/dL vs. 139.0 +/- 41.8 mg/dL, p = 0.007). Other examined parameters did not differ significantly between the groups, with the exception of serum albumin [4.0 g/dL (range: 3.1 - 4.3 g/dL) in group I vs. 3.3 g/dL (range: 2.9 - 4.4 g/dL) in group II, p = 0.020]. Adjustment for age and sex additionally showed differences in bioimpedance and anthropometric measurements. Compared with group II, group I showed lower waist and hip circumferences, a lower waist/height ratio, a lower fat body mass, and a higher lean body mass as a percentage of total body mass. When adjustments were made for age, sex, and fat body mass, differences in lipid profile were nonsignificant. In the overall group, a correlation was seen between lean body mass and total cholesterol (r = -0.487, p = 0.006). Lower LDL and higher HDL serum cholesterol may occur in dialyzed patients who drink coffee not only because of the direct influence of coffee ingredients on serum lipid profile, but mainly because of a more favorable body composition and better protein nutrition in coffee drinkers.