Previous animal studies have suggested that high coffee consumption may reverse the anti-inflammatory effects of methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation in the joints, leading to chronic pain, deformities and disability. Methotrexate is an anti-inflammatory drug that is commonly prescribed for RA. Now research reports that a high intake of caffeine doesn't weaken the effectiveness of methotrexate.
The study, published in the Journal of Rheumatology, investigated whether a high dietary caffeine intake decreases methotrexate's effects in RA patients. Researchers at Harvard Medical School in Boston, divided 264 participants with RA and taking methotrexate into three groups. The three groups were based on low, moderate, and high caffeine consumption. The participants' methotrexate response was measured by the Disease Activity Score (DAS)28, Multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MDHAQ) score, and duration of morning stiffness.
The researchers found that overall, the participants' average coffee intake was about 1.5 cups of coffee daily or 212 mg of caffeine per day. Participants in the high caffeine group had a coffee intake of 3 cups of coffee daily or 422 mg of caffeine per day. Findings also revealed that participants in the moderate to high caffeine groups did have slightly higher disease activity scores, but the differences were not significant.
"Caffeine intake among patients taking high doses of MTX for RA did not affect methotrexate efficacy and RA disease activity over time," the study authors conclude.
REFERENCES:
1. Benito-Garcia F et al. Dietary caffeine intake does not affect methotrexate efficacy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol 2006 Jul;33(7):1275-81.
Posted by Elaine Gavalas on November 22, 2006 03:18 PM
