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Age and Ageing Advance Access originally published online on March 26, 2004
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Age and Ageing 2004; 33: 299-303
Age and Ageing Vol. 33 No. 3 © British Geriatrics Society 2004; all rights reserved

Research Paper

Caffeine reduces cerebral blood flow in patients recovering from an ischaemic stroke

Suzanne Ragab1, Michael Lunt2, Anthony Birch3, Peter Thomas1 and Damian F. Jenkinson2

1 Poole Hospital NHS Trust, Elderly Medicine, Poole, Dorset, UK
2 Royal Bournemouth Hospital, Elderly Medicine, Bournemouth, Dorset, UK
3 Southampton University Medical Physics, Southampton, Hampshire, UK

Address correspondence to: S. Ragab. Email: Suzanne.Ragab{at}poole.nhs.uk

Abstract

Background: caffeine is present in a variety of beverages and food and is widely consumed. In a previous study of patients recovering from an acute ischaemic stroke using transcranial Doppler ultrasound we demonstrated a fall in middle cerebral artery blood velocity of 12% following ingestion of 250 mg caffeine. The aim of this study was to investigate if this velocity change reflected a change in cerebral blood flow.

Methods: the study used a randomised, double blind, cross-over design. Nineteen patients recovering from an acute ischaemic stroke in the middle cerebral artery territory and 10 controls attended two sessions, having abstained from caffeine for 48 hours previously. At each session cerebral blood flow was measured four times using xenon clearance, twice before the oral administration of 250 mg caffeine or matched placebo, and twice after. Similarly, three middle cerebral artery blood velocity readings using transcranial Doppler were made prior to administration and four after.

Results: the caffeine resulted in a significant fall in cerebral blood flow and middle cerebral artery blood velocity compared to placebo.

Conclusions: since caffeine is present in the diet of most patients recovering from an acute ischaemic stroke this effect may have adverse clinical consequences.

Keywords: cerebral blood flow, stroke, ischaemic, caffeine, transcranial Doppler, elderly

Received August 13, 2003; Revision received December 15, 2003. accepted in revised form December 15, 2003.


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