title: Tea intake is inversely related to blood pressure in older women.
abstract: Tea is rich in polyphenols, which have activities consistent with blood pressure-lowering potential. The effects of long-term regular ingestion of tea on blood pressure remain uncertain. We investigated the relationships of tea intake and a biomarker of exposure to tea-derived polyphenols (4-O-methylgallic acid) with blood pressure in a cross-sectional study of 218 women > 70 y old. Clinic blood pressures were measured and tea intake was assessed using a 24-h dietary recall; 4-O-methylgallic acid was measured for the same period in a 24-h urine sample. Mean (95% CI) daily tea intake was 525 (475, 600) mL. Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were 138.1 (135.6, 140.6) and 73.5 (72.1, 74.9) mm Hg. Higher tea intake and higher 4-O-methylgallic acid excretion were associated with significantly lower systolic (P = 0.002 and P = 0.040, respectively) and diastolic (P = 0.027 and P < 0.001, respectively) blood pressures. A 250 mL/d (1 cup) increase in tea intake was associated with a 2.2 (0.8, 3.6) mm Hg lower systolic blood pressure and a 0.9 (0.1, 1.7) mm Hg lower diastolic blood pressure. The observed associations for both tea intake and 4-O-methylgallic acid are consistent with the hypothesis that long-term regular ingestion of tea may have a favorable effect on blood pressure in older women.
authors.affiliation: University of Western Australia School of Medicine and Pharmacology, and the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR),Western Australia, Australia. jonathan@cyllene.edu.au
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hodgson
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Devine
authors.forename: Ian B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Puddey
authors.forename: Shin Yee
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Lawrence J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Beilin
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Prince
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D003971:Diastole; D004032:Diet; D004326:Drinking; D005260:Female; D005707:Gallic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D011939:Mental Recall; D013599:Systole; D013662:Tea
chemical_list: D013662:Tea; C024272:3,5-dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzoic acid; D005707:Gallic Acid