Background: Caffeine in the safe dose range has been associated with a reduction in the risk of chronic diseases. There is evidence that caffeine intake has both protective and negative effects on cardiovascular diseases. Aim: This study aimed to investigate caffeine intake in cardiovascular patients. Methods: The study sample was selected from individuals who applied to the Cardiology policlinic of Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University Hospital. A questionnaire was applied using face-to-face interview method to determine their demographic information, nutritional status and anthropometric measurements. Moreover, the nutritional status of the participants was determined by the Food Frequency Questionnaire and the type of cardiovascular disease was determined by a physician. The blood parameters of the sample for the last three months were questioned. The sample has been ninety people of whom fifty cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) were diagnosed and forty were non-diagnosed (ND). Results: The mean age of individuals (n = 90) was 43.2 ± 14.4. The BMI and waist circumference of the CVDs group were statistically significantly higher than the ND group (p < 0.001). While the total caffeine consumption of the ND group was 209.34 ± 143.85 mg/day, consumption of the CVDs group was 209.99 ± 196.76 mg/day. LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol did not show statistically significant difference between the two groups. However, HDL cholesterol was significantly higher in the ND group (p ≤ 0.001). Conclusion: Present results show that daily caffeine consumption may partially affect blood parameters associated with cardiovascular diseases, especially in the presence of coronary artery disease.
Keywords: Caffeine; cardiovascular diseases; coffee; coffee consumption; food consumption.