Coffee intake associated with low liver stiffness but not steatosis

USA: A new study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology Journal found that coffee is linked to low liver stiffness according to controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) measurements in US adults.

The risk of liver disease is lowered by coffee. Important confounding factors such as recollection bias, healthy user bias, and indirect measurements of liver outcomes or health restrict the validity of this link. In order to investigate the relationship between coffee intake and liver fibrosis and steatosis in a nationally representative population, Sebastian Niezen and his team carried out this study.

Transient elastography and two 24-hour dietary recall assessments were performed on 4510 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey research who were 20 years of age or older. Coffee intake was compared to liver stiffness measures (LSM) of 9.5 kpa or higher or controlled attenuation parameter. Consumption of decaffeinated coffee and tea served as controls. Researchers conducted a sensitivity analysis that included all drinks in a single model, looked at the effects of caffeine consumption, and separately accounted for the Healthy Eating Index-2015 and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.

The key findings of this study were:

1. The study group mentioned had an average age of 48 ± 0.6 years, was overweight or obese in 73% of cases, had diabetes in 10.6% of cases, engaged in vigorous physical activity in 47.5% of cases, and consumed two or more alcoholic beverages in 23% of cases.

2. Coffee and controls with CAP had no relation after multivariate correction.

3. With no other beverages consumed, those who drank more than three cups of coffee had a 0.9 lower kPa.

4. A LSM of 9.5 kpa or higher required more than 3 cups of coffee to be protective.

5. Only drinking more than three cups of coffee per day remained a significant independent predictor of LSM after accounting for other liquids in the same model.

6. At any dosage, caffeine had no discernible relationship with LSM.

7. Finally, after correcting for the use of sugar-sweetened beverages and the Healthy Eating Index-2015, coffee consumption was still linked to a lower LSM.

8. Because of this, coffee's beneficial effects cannot be attributed to caffeine and remain in individuals regardless of the quality of their diet.

Reference: 

Niezen, S., Mehta, M., Jiang, Z. G., & Tapper, E. B. (2022). Coffee Consumption Is Associated With Lower Liver Stiffness: A Nationally Representative Study. In Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology (Vol. 20, Issue 9, pp. 2032-2040.e6). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2021.09.042