Caffeine is one of the most ingested drugs in the world. Its effects on the cardiovascular system (CVS) may alter the structure and function of the heart. We hypothesized that habitual caffeine consumption during pregnancy will constantly intensify blood pressure (BP) and damage the morphology of the heart. After 21 days of exposure to caffeine treatments of 1mg/kg, 6mg/kg and 15mg/kg respectively dissolved in vehicle, non-invasive BP, histological analysis and oxidative status were determined using CODA, serum and heart tissues. Data were statistically analysed with ANOVA and Newman-Keuls post hoc test (p<0.05). We observed significant increase in SBP and MABP across the three treatment groups and a considerable improvement in anti-oxidant activity. Histology revealed significant left ventricular (LV) wall thickness and some degree of hypertrophy in the treatment groups compared to vehicle. Our results indicate that habitual consumption of higher doses of caffeine project signs of cardiomegaly.
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