Tea consumption is inversely associated with carotid plaques in women.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to assess the relationship of tea consumption with common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) and carotid plaques.


RESULTS
The study was performed on 6597 subjects aged > or = 65 years, recruited in the French population for the Three-City Study. Atherosclerotic plaques in the extracranial carotid arteries and CCA-IMT were measured using a standardized protocol. Results were tested for replication in another, younger, French population sample (EVA-Study, 1123 subjects). In the Three-City Study, increasing daily tea consumption was associated with a lower prevalence of carotid plaques in women: 44.0%, 42.5%, and 33.7% in women drinking no tea, 1 to 2 cups/d, and > or = 3 cups/d (P=0.0001). This association was independent of age, center, major vascular risk factors, educational level, and dietary habits (adjOR=0.68[95%CI:0.54 to 0.86] for women drinking > or = 3 cups/d compared with none). There was no association of tea consumption with carotid plaques in men, or CCA-IMT in both genders. In the EVA-Study, carotid plaque frequency was 18.8%, 18.5%, and 8.9% in women drinking no tea, 1 to 2 cups/d, and > or = 3 cups/d (P=0.08).


CONCLUSIONS
In a large sample of elderly community subjects we showed for the first time that carotid plaques were less frequent with increasing tea consumption in women.
Inserm, U744, Lille, France.
Stéphanie
S
Debette
Dominique
D
Courbon
Nathalie
N
Leone
Jérôme
J
Gariépy
Christophe
C
Tzourio
Jean-François
JF
Dartigues
Pascale
P
Barberger-Gateau
Karen
K
Ritchie
Annick
A
Alpérovitch
Philippe
P
Amouyel
Pierre
P
Ducimetière
Mahmoud
M
Zureik
D000368:Aged; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013662:Tea; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography
D013662:Tea