Evaluation of long-term caffeine consumption and cardiovascular risk in medical students

Abstract

Caffeine consumption by academics, especially those in medical school, is done indiscriminately due to the need to reduce fatigue during their activities and, consequently, increasing their performance. Although it seems to be a harmless practice, it can be related to some health problems. Among these other damages are: arrhythmias, urinary incontinence, loss of appetite, nausea, increased blood pressure, insomnia and sudden death. In this context, this work evaluated cardiovascular damage associated to long-term use of caffeine based on clinical evaluation of students aged 18 years or older in a private medical college in Espírito Santo. Analysis was performed through a brief questionnaire followed by assessment of heart rate and blood pressure. The work was performed with 26 men and 69 women and an average of 70% of the population claimed to consume caffeine. It was also seen that among the students who had the greatest changes in relation to blood pressure were those who were in the 1st and 3rd years of the course. In short, no significant changes were observed in relation to caffeine consumption throughout graduation or cardiovascular impacts associated with its use. However, the evaluated individuals are mostly young and the study follow-up time was short.