Effect of Caffeine on Cold-stimulated Brown Adipose Tissue Activity

Launched by UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, BASEL, SWITZERLAND · May 15, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how caffeine affects a special type of fat in our bodies called brown adipose tissue (BAT), especially when exposed to mild cold temperatures. Brown fat helps burn calories and keep us warm, so understanding how caffeine influences its activity could provide insights into metabolism and weight management. In this study, participants will receive either 200mg of caffeine or a placebo (a non-active substance that looks like caffeine) before being exposed to cold, and researchers will measure how active their brown fat is during this time.

To be eligible for the study, participants should be between the ages of 65 and 74, have a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 25 (which indicates a healthy weight), and drink a moderate amount of caffeine (about 1 to 3 cups of coffee daily). Participants will need to give informed consent, meaning they agree to take part in the study after understanding what it involves. Those with certain health conditions, allergies to caffeine, or significant changes in weight recently will not be able to participate. While the study is not yet recruiting, it promises to provide valuable information about how caffeine might help our bodies respond to cold temperatures and possibly improve our understanding of metabolism as we age.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • BMI 18.5 to 25 kg/m2
• • Able to give informed consent as documented by signature
• • Moderate caffeine consumption (1 to 3 cups of coffee per day)
• • Increase of EE in response to mild cold of ≥ 5% of REE
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Known hypersensitivity or allergy to caffeine
• • Concomitant medication other than prescription free analgesics (paracetamol and NSAID) and oral contraceptives
• • Other clinically significant concomitant disease states (e.g., renal failure, hepatic dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, cardiac arrhythmia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyper- or hypothyroidism)
• • History of depressive disorder or anxiety disorder
• • Smoker / habitual tobacco use
• • Habitual excessive alcohol use
• • Regular consumption of caffeine containing energy drinks
• • Weight change of \>5% within 3 months prior to inclusion
• • Systolic blood pressure \>140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure \> 95 mmHg.
• • Resting heart rate \>90 bpm
• • Hypersensitivity to cold (e.g. Raynaud syndrome)
• • Known or suspected non-compliance, drug or alcohol abuse
• • Inability to follow the procedures of the study, e.g. due to language problems, psychological disorders, dementia, etc. of the participant.
• • Enrolment of the investigator, his/her family members, employees, and other dependent persons
• • Enrolment into another study using ionizing radiation within the previous 12 months.
• • Pregnancy or lactation