Joel M. Gore, MD reviewing Miller PE et al. Am J Med 2017 Feb.

Tea may be heart-healthy, and coffee may have a neutral effect, according to a large observational study.

A majority of Americans passionately consume coffee and tea. Using data from the population-based Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA; N=6814; mean age, 62; 53% women), investigators prospectively studied the impact of coffee, tea, and caffeine on cardiovascular health.

MESA participants completed food-frequency questionnaires with items on coffee and tea (black or green); coffee caffeination was not queried. Daily caffeine intake from all beverages and foods was calculated. Of the participants, 25% reported not drinking coffee, 24% reported <1 cup daily, and 51% reported ≥1 cups daily. For tea, 58% reported no tea drinking; 29% reported <1 cup daily, and 13% reported ≥1 cup daily.

At follow-up (median, 11.1 years), the incidence of all cardiovascular events and heart cardiovascular events was 10.8 and 7.5 per 1,000 person-years. Consuming ≥1 cup of tea daily was associated with a lower incidence of future cardiovascular events compared with no tea intake. Compared with no coffee intake, consuming <1 cup daily was associated with a higher incidence of such events; regular drinking had a neutral effect. In multivariate analyses, coffee intake was not associated with coronary artery calcium progression. In contrast, drinking ≥1 cup of tea daily or having higher caffeine consumption was linked to reduced progression of coronary artery calcium.

CITATION(S):

Miller PE et al. Associations of coffee, tea, and caffeine intake with coronary artery calcification and cardiovascular events. Am J Med 2017 Feb; 130:188. 

JWatch