Higher Caffeine Intake Linked to Lower Risk of Liver Fibrosis, finds study

This cross-sectional analysis involved 23,711 eligible participants from a total of 39,221 adults with laboratory results available. Participants were divided into three groups according to the status of glucose metabolism: diabetes-free, prediabetes, and T2DM. Liver fibrosis risk was evaluated by the fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index, a non-invasive biomarker widely applied for liver disease assessment. Caffeine intake was assessed via 24-hour dietary recall and the subjects split into two groups based on average daily caffeine use: <78 mg and ≥78 mg.

Key Findings

• In the prediabetes group, the mean age was 53 ± 0.4 years, while among the T2DM group the mean age was 62 ± 0.3 years.

• Prevalence of liver fibrosis was notably higher in T2DM (5.9%) than in individuals with prediabetes (3.2%) and those who are free from diabetes (2.5%) (p< 0.001).

In comparison to persons with daily caffeine consumption <78 mg, those with ≥78 mg of caffeine daily had a significantly reduced risk of liver fibrosis:

• Diabetes-free group: odds ratio (OR) = 0.698 [95% CI: 0.577–0.846]

• Prediabetes group: OR = 0.553 [95% CI: 0.397–0.769]

• T2DM group: OR = 0.720 [95% CI: 0.556–0.933]

Researchers found the prevalence of liver fibrosis in people of various glucose metabolism statuses and points to the usefulness of caffeine use in lowering risk of fibrosis. Patients with prediabetes could be recommended to undergo screening for fibrosis. Caffeine consumption could be a simple and non-pharmacological method for reducing the risk of fibrosis, although there is a necessity for further study to investigate underlying mechanisms and long-term effects.

Reference:

Han, J., Liu, C., Yang, H., Dong, Z., Li, X., Gao, R., Li, J., Zhang, Q., Ming, W.-K., Li, Z., Li, J., & Qi, X. (2025). Caffeine intake associated with a lower risk of liver fibrosis in different glucose status. Journal of Advanced Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jare.2025.02.004