ABSTRACT

Purpose:
To explore the state-of-the-art evidence on the effect of caffeine consumption on the development and progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a significant cause of blindness worldwide.

Methods:
Eligible primary clinical studies published up to 15 June 2024 were included and appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools for cohort and case-control studies. The available data were then analyzed using random-effects meta-analysis and effect direction-based vote-counting (PROSPERO CRD42023451237).

Results:
Five studies (9318 patients) were included in this systematic review, three of which investigated the effect of caffeine intake on the development of AMD and two on AMD progression. Caffeine intake from coffee or other beverages showed no significant association with the occurrence of early (adjusted odds ratio 1.11 [95% confidence interval 0.93-1.33], I2 = 0.0%) or late AMD. On the other hand, vote-counting analysis indicated that caffeine consumption, mainly tea, may prevent and hinder disease progression, potentially in a dose-dependent manner.

Conclusion:
The limited available evidence suggests that caffeine consumption may deter and impede the progression of AMD. In contrast, the protective effect of caffeine consumption on the development of AMD remains uncertain. Further prospective, large-scale studies exploring the effects and dose-response relationship of various caffeine beverages across a broader spectrum of AMD and populations are warranted to corroborate our findings.

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