Kidney issues? Sip on some coffee

Turns out, consuming more caffeine may help reduce the risk of death for people with chronic kidney disease. In a new study, researchers hypothesised that caffeine consumption might be associated with lower mortality among participants with chronic kidney disease.

The possible protective effect of caffeine might be related to effects at a vascular level as caffeine is known to promote the release of substances, such as nitric oxide, that improves the function of the vessel. Chronic kidney disease is associated with increased health care costs and a higher risk of death.

One of the study’s lead authors, Miguel Bigotte Vieira, said, “Our study showed a protective effect of caffeine consumption among patients with chronic kidney disease. The reduction in mortality was present even after considering other important factors such as age, gender, race, smoking, and diet.”

“These results suggest that advising patients with kidney disease to drink more caffeine may reduce their mortality. This would represent a simple, clinically beneficial, and inexpensive option, though this benefit should ideally be confirmed in a randomised clinical trial,” added Vieira. The author, therefore, emphasised that this observational study cannot prove that caffeine reduces the risk of death in patients with chronic kidney disease, but only suggests the possibility of such a protective effect.