A new study published in Rheumatology by researchers from the Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, and the Oxford University Press suggests that caffeine could benefit heart health by supporting the body’s blood vessels, especially in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study is among the first to investigate the effects of caffeine on cardiovascular health in patients with SLE, a chronic autoimmune disease that can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death, particularly among individuals with inflammatory conditions like lupus. Typically, doctors have recommended that lupus patients reduce cardiovascular risks by stopping inflammation, reducing cortisone medications, avoiding smoking, and managing cholesterol and blood pressure. However, this study hints at a new strategy: regularly consuming caffeine, a substance found in coffee, tea, and cocoa, could help regenerate and protect blood vessels.
Researchers enrolled 31 lupus patients who did not have traditional cardiovascular risk factors and tracked their caffeine intake using a seven-day food questionnaire. They then took blood samples from the participants to assess the health of their endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs)—the cells responsible for repairing and maintaining blood vessel walls. The study found a positive correlation between caffeine intake and the percentage of circulating EPCs, suggesting that caffeine may play a role in bolstering blood vessel health.
Fulvia Ceccarelli, MD, PhD, a rheumatology researcher at the Sapienza University of Rome and the study’s lead author, noted, “The present study is an attempt to provide patients with information on the possible role of diet in controlling the disease. It will be necessary to confirm the results through a longitudinal study, aimed at assessing the real impact of coffee consumption on the disease course.”
To further understand the effect of caffeine, the researchers also conducted experiments on EPCs from healthy donors. These cells were treated with SLE patient serum to simulate the effects of lupus and then exposed to caffeine. The results showed that caffeine improved the morphology of these cells, increased the number of colony-forming units (an indicator of cell health), and reduced cell apoptosis (cell death). Additionally, caffeine appeared to restore healthy cell function by enhancing autophagy—the process by which cells remove damaged components—through the A2AR/SIRT3/AMPK signaling pathway.
This pathway involves key regulatory proteins like SIRT3 and AMPK, which play a role in energy regulation and cellular stress responses. Caffeine’s impact on these proteins suggests a mechanism by which it could help maintain the health and longevity of blood vessel cells in patients with SLE, where inflammation and cellular stress are persistent concerns.
The study also points to caffeine’s anti-inflammatory properties, which have been widely acknowledged in previous research. Caffeine binds to receptors on immune cells, effectively reducing inflammation. Given the conflicting results in previous studies on caffeine’s cardiovascular effects, this research provides a more focused look at caffeine’s benefits in a specific, high-risk population.
