There is uncertainty regarding the impact of tea and coffee consumption on arterial blood pressure. The present study aimed to examine the association between blood pressure (BP) components, namely, systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP, mean arterial pressure, and pulse pressure (PP), and tea or coffee consumption, taking into account simultaneous consumption. The study
population was derived from a national cross-sectional stratified sample of 1352 individuals aged
18 to 69 years, recruited between November 2007 and January 2009 to participate in the
Observation of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Luxembourg study. We hypothesized that greater
tea consumption would be independently associated with lower BP. Tea and coffee
consumptions in deciliters per day were obtained from a semiquantitative food frequency
questionnaire. Participants were classified into 3 groups: nonconsumers, ≤3-dL/d consumers,
and >3-dL/d consumers of each beverage separately. After exclusion of subjects taking
antihypertensive medications, several general linear models were performed to investigate the
independent relationship between tea/coffee consumption and BP components. Tea consumers
(36.3%) were more likely to be younger women, nonsmokers, with better cardiometabolic
profiles, and less frequent chronic pathologies, whereas the reverse was true for coffee
consumers (88%). Greater tea consumption was associated with lower SBP and PP values, after
adjustment for age, sex, education, lifestyle, and dietary confounding factors, including coffee
drinking. No association between BP components and coffee consumption was observed. Daily
consumption of 1 dL of tea was associated with a significant reduction of SBP by 0.6mmHg and
PP by 0.5 mm Hg. Given the widespread consumption of tea and coffee throughout the world,
together with themajor cardiovascular disease risk, our findings have important implications for
human health. |