Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Caffeine and the Elderly

Drugs & Aging volume 13, pages 43–50 (1998)Cite this article

Abstract

The most common source of dietary caffeine among the elderly is coffee, with consumption averaging about 200 mg/day. Because of the greater proportion of adipose tissue to lean body mass in older humans, and because caffeine is distributed essentially only through lean body mass, a dose of caffeine expressed as mg/kg total bodyweight may result in a higher plasma and tissue concentration in elderly compared with younger individuals. The metabolism of, and physiological responses to, caffeine is similar in elderly and younger individuals. However, there is a limited amount of evidence that responses to caffeine in some physiological systems may be greater in the elderly at doses in the 200 to 300mg range.

Although caffeine consumption increases urinary calcium levels similarly in both younger and older individuals, the preponderance of data suggest that caffeine has a greater impact on calcium metabolism and bone in older people. Evidence also suggests that increasing age is associated with increasing sensitivity to the pressor effects of caffeine. Caffeine appears to affect metabolic and neurological responses similarly in both young and elderly individuals, when differences in baseline performance are taken into account.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  1. Sawynok J, Yaksh TL. Caffeine as an analgesic adjuvant: a review of pharmacology and mechanisms of action. Pharmacol Rev 1993; 45(1): 43–85

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Debry G, editor. Café et la sante (Coffee and health). London: John Libbey Eurotext, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  3. Dews PB, editor. Caffeine: perspectives from recent research. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1984

    Google Scholar 

  4. Garattini S, editor. Caffeine, coffee and health. New York: Raven Press, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  5. Spiller GA, editor. The methylxanthine beverages and foods: chemistry, consumption, and health effects. New York: Alan R. Liss, 1984

    Google Scholar 

  6. Spiller G, editor. Caffeine. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press, 1997

    Google Scholar 

  7. Barone JJ, Roberts HR. Caffeine consumption. Food Chem Toxicol 1996; 34(1): 119–29

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, Life Sciences Research Office. Prepared for the Interagency Board for Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research. Third Report on Nutrition Monitoring in the United States: vol. 2. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1995: 354

    Google Scholar 

  9. Blanchard J. Protein binding of caffeine in young and elderly males. J Pharm Sci 1982; 71: 1415–8

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Blanchard J, Sawers SJA, Jonkman JHG, et al. Comparison of the urinary metabolite profile of caffeine in young and elderly males. Br J Pharmacol 1985; 19: 225–32

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Jackson SHD, Johnston A, Woollard R, et al. The relationship between theophylline clearance and age in adult life. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1989; 36: 29–34

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Fredholm BB. Adenosine, adenosine receptors and the actions of caffeine. Pharmacol Toxicol 1995; 76: 93–101

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Massey LK, Wise KJ. Impact of gender and age on urinary water and mineral excretion response to acute caffeine doses. Nutr Res 1992; 12: 605–12

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Martof MT, Knox DK. The effect of xanthines on fluid balance. Clin Nurs Res 1997; 6: 186–96

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Massey LK, Sutton RAL. Effect of caffeine consumption on urinary calcium, magnesium, oxalate and citrate in calcium stoneformers. In: Lyall R, editor. Urolithiasis 2. New York: Raven Press, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  16. Massey LK, Whiting SJ. Caffeine, urinary calcium, calcium metabolism and bone. J Nutr 1993; 123: 1611–4

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Cooper C, Atkinson EJ, Wahner HW, et al. Is caffeine consumption a risk factor for osteoporosis? J Bone Miner Res 1992 Apr; 7(4): 465–71

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Hasling C, Sondergaard K, Charles P, et al. Calcium metabolism in postmenopausal osteoporotic women is determined by dietary calcium and coffee intake. J Nutr 1992; 122: 1119–26

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Massey LK, Bergman EA, Wise KJ, et al. Interactions between dietary caffeine and calcium on calcium and bone metabolism in older women. J Am Coll Nutr 1994; 13: 592–6

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Harris SS, Dawson-Hughes B. Caffeine and bone loss in healthy postmenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr 1994; 60: 573–8

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Barrett-Connor E, Chang JC, Edelstein SL. Coffee-associated osteoporosis offset by daily milk consumption: the Rancho Bernardo study. JAMA 1994; 271: 280–3

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Lloyd T, Rollings N, Eggli DF, et al. Dietary caffeine intake and bone status of postmenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr 1997; 65: 1826–30

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. James JE. Is habitual caffeine use a preventable cardiovascular risk factor? Lancet 1997; 349: 279–81

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Izzo JL, Ghosal A, Kwong T, et al. Age and prior caffeine use alter the cardiovascular and adrenomedullary responses to oral caffeine. Am J Cardiol 1983; 52: 769–73

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Del Rio G, Menozzi R, Zizzo G, et al. Increased cardiovascular response to caffeine in perimenopausal women before and during estrogen therapy. Eur J Endocrinol 1996; 135: 598–603

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Watt AH, Bayer A, Routledge PA, et al. Adenosine-induced respiratory and heart rate changes in young and elderly adults. Br J Clin Pharmacol 1989; 27: 265–7

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Onrot J, Goldberg MR, Biaggioni I, et al. Hemodynamic and humoral effects of caffeine in autonomic failure. N Engl J Med 1985; 313: 549–54

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Lenders JWM, Morre HLC, Smits P, et al. The effects of caffeine on the postprandial fall of blood pressure in the elderly. Age Ageing 1988; 17: 236–40

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Lipsitz LA, Jansen RWMM, Connelly CM, et al. Haemodynamic and neurohumoral effects of caffeine in elderly patients with symptomatic postprandial hypotension: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Clin Sci 1994; 87: 259–67

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Heseltine D, El-Jabri M, Ahmed F, et al. The effect of caffeine on postprandial blood pressure in the frail elderly. Postgrad Med J 1991; 67: 543–7

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Heseltine D, Dakkak M, McDonald IA, et al. Caffeine prevents postprandial hypotension in the elderly. J Am Geriatr Soc 1991; 39: 160–4

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Rakic V, Beilin LJ, Burke V. Effect of coffee and tea drinking on postprandial hypotension in older men and women. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 1996; 23: 559–63

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Myers MG. Caffeine and cardiac arrhythmias. Ann Intern Med 1991; 114: 147–50

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Arciero PJ, Gardner AW, Calles-Escandon J, et al. Effects of caffeine ingestion on NE kinetics, fat oxidation and energy expenditure in younger and older men. Am J Physiol 1995; 268(31): E1192–8

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Fukagawa NK, Veirs H, Langeloh G. Acute effects of fructose and glucose ingestion with and without caffeine in young and old humans. Metabolism 1995 May; 44(5): 630–8

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Ferrini RL, Barrett-Connor E. Caffeine intake and endogenous sex steroid levels in postmenopausal women: the Rancho Bernardo study. Am J Epidemiol 1996; 144(7): 642–4

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Swift CG, Tiplady B. The effects of age on the response to caffeine. Psychopharmacology 1988; 94: 29–31

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Yu G, Maskray V, Jackson SHD, et al. A comparison of the central nervous system effects of caffeine and theophylline in elderly subjects. Br J Clin Pharmacol 1991; 32: 341–5

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Lorist MM, Snel J, Mulder G, et al. Aging, caffeine, and information processing: an event-related potential analysis. Electoencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 1995; 96: 453–67

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Brezinova V. Effect of caffeine on sleep: EEG study in late middle age people. Br J Clin Pharmacol 1974; 1: 203–8

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Curless R, French JM, James OFW, et al. Is caffeine a factor in subjective insomnia of elderly people? Age Ageing 1993; 22: 41–5

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Washington State University, Spokane, Washington, USA

    Linda K. Massey

Authors
  1. Linda K. Massey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Linda K. Massey.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Massey, L.K. Caffeine and the Elderly. Drugs & Aging 13, 43–50 (1998). https://doi.org/10.2165/00002512-199813010-00005

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00002512-199813010-00005

Keywords

search

Navigation