Pharmacokinetics of caffeine in epiretinal membranes after oral intake: a pilot study

A new interest for caffeine in ophthalmology emerged with the observation that caffeine inhibits cataract genesis. Besides inhibition of cataract formation, caffeine is hypothesized to have an important antioxidant capacity in vivo. Fredholm et al. demonstrated evidence for several dose depending biochemical effects of caffeine intake in humans. The level of caffeine achieved after intake of 1 cup of coffee is able to block the adenosine receptors (A1 and A2A). The aim of the study is to investigate if oral caffeine intake leads to caffeine accumulation in epiretinal membranes.