Caffeine consumption and the 4-year progression of de novo Parkinson's disease

This is really interesting and there has been plenty about the relationship between caffeine and PD in the past... here the authors suggest that coffee drinkers have slower progression of a range of PD symptoms... whether this represents an effect on the underlying disease or improved symptom control remains to be seen...

Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2016 Aug 4. pii: S1353-8020(16)30289-9. doi: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2016.08.005. [Epub ahead of print]

Moccia M, Erro R, Picillo M, Vitale C, Longo K, Amboni M, Pellecchia MT, Barone P.

http://www.prd-journal.com/article/S1353-8020(16)30289-9/abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Higher caffeine consumption has been associated with reduced risk of Parkinson's disease (PD), and with a more benign progression of motor and non-motor symptoms (NMS). The present observational cohort study investigated motor and non-motor correlates of caffeine consumption in de novo PD.

METHODS:

79 newly diagnosed, drug naïve PD patients have been included and followed up for 4 years. The total caffeine use was calculated with the Caffeine Consumption Questionnaire. Following study variables were recorded at baseline, and after 2 and 4 years: UPDRS part III, UPDRS part IV, l-dopa Equivalent Daily Dose (LEDD), NMS Questionnaire (NMSQuest), and the time occurring from PD diagnosis to the need for l-dopa treatment. Age, gender and disease duration were included as covariates in the statistical models.

RESULTS:

The average daily caffeine consumption was 296.1 ± 157.2 mg. At Cox regression models, higher caffeine consumption was associated with a lower rate of starting l-Dopa treatment (HR = 0.630; 95%CI = 0.382-0.996). At the mixed-effects linear regression models considering the whole study period, each additional espresso cup per day (50 mg of caffeine) was more likely associated with 5-point lower UPDRS part III total score (Coef = -0.01; 95%CI = -0.02 to 0.00), with 50% reduced LEDD (Coef = -0.01; 95%CI = -0.15 to 0.00; p = 0.021), and with 5-point lower NMSQuest total score (Coef = -0.01; 95%CI = -0.01 to 0.00), but not with UPDRS part IV total score (Coef = -0.00; 95%CI = -0.00 to 0.00).

CONCLUSION:

Caffeine consumption was associated with a reduced accrual of motor and non-motor disability during 4-year follow-up in de novo PD, highlighting the rationale for using adenosine A2A antagonists since the early phases of PD.