Abstract Details

Title Coffee and tea consumption impact on ALS progression: a multicenter cross-sectional study

Topic General Neurology

Presentation(s) Neuroepidemiology Posters (7:00 AM-5:00 PM)

Poster/Presentation
Number 013

Background ALS is a devastating and still untreatable motor neuron disease; nutritional factors may impact the disease progression rate.

Objective We aimed to ascertain the influence of the consumption of coffee and tea on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) progression rate.

Design/Methods A multicenter cross-sectional study. We recruited 241 patients, 96 females, and 145 males; mean age at onset was 59.9±11.8 years. According to El Escorial criteria, 74 were definite ALS, 77 probable, 55 possible and 35 suspected; 187 patients had spinal onset and 54 bulbar. Patients were categorized into three groups, according to ΔFS (derived from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale-Revised score) and disease duration from onset): slow progression rate (N=81), intermediate progression rate (N=80) and fast progression rate (N=80).

Results Current coffee consumers were 179 (74.3%), 34 (14.1%) were non-consumers, 22 (9.1%) former consumers, whereas six (2.5%) consumed decaffeinate coffee only. The log-ΔFS was weakly correlated with the duration of coffee consumption (p=0.034), but not with the number of cups-year (p=0.932). Current tea consumers were 101 (41.9%), 6 (2.5%) were former-consumers, and 134 (55.6%) non-consumers. Among the 107 current and former consumers, 27 (25.2%) consumed only green tea, 51 (47.7%) other types of tea and 29 (27.1%) both. The log-ΔFS was weakly correlated only with the duration of other types of tea consumption (p=0.028), but not with the number of cups-year.

Conclusions Our study does not support the hypothesis that coffee or tea consumption is associated with progression of ALS.

Authors/Disclosures
Aliona Cucovici (University of Foggia) PRESENTER	Dr. Cucovici has nothing to disclose.
Andrei Ivashynka, MD, PhD (Hospital Moriggia Pelascini)	Dr. Ivashynka has nothing to disclose.
	No disclosure on file
Maurizio Leone, MD	Dr. Leone has nothing to disclose.