Association between daily coffee intake and diabetic kidney disease: evidence from the 2007 to 2016 NHANES

Purpose Regular coffee intake is recognized as a protective factor against various chronic diseases, particularly diabetes. However, the correlation between coffee intake-both the act of drinking coffee and the amount consumed-and diabetic kidney disease (DKD) remains uncertain. The goal of this study is to measure the correlation between coffee intake and DKD. Methods This cross-sectional study was based on data from the 2007 to 2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). DKD was characterized by the coexistence of diabetes combined with impaired glomerular filtration rate (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) or ACR >= 30 mg/g. Weighted logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses were adopted to evaluate the correlation between coffee intake and DKD. The subgroup analyses were implemented to assess the reliability of the results. Results The study included 13,177 participants, representing a weighted population of 125,388,198 individuals. Among them, 8198 (64%) participants consumed coffee and 1430 (7.6%) were classified as having DKD. After controlling for covariates, multivariable logistic regression showed a negative correlation between moderate coffee intake and DKD (OR = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.55-0.83; P < 0.001). The RCS analysis suggested a U-shaped, non-linear correlation between coffee intake and DKD (P overall = 0.013; P nonlinear = 0.047). The subgroup analyses further supported the stability and reliability of these findings. Conclusion The results indicate a U-shaped correlation between coffee intake and diabetic kidney disease.