title: Regular Chinese Green Tea Consumption is Protective for Diabetic Retinopathy: A Clinic-Based Case-Control Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the association between regular Chinese green tea consumption and the risk of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in diabetic patients in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  100 DR patients and 100 age-sex-matched diabetic controls without retinopathy were recruited in a clinic-based, case-control study. DR was defined from retinal photographs and detailed information on Chinese green tea consumption of the participants was collected through a face-to-face interview.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The crude odds ratio [OR] of Chinese green tea consumption for DR was 0.49 (95% confidence interval: 0.26-0.90). When stratified by sex, the protective effect of Chinese green tea consumption on DR was statistically significant in women (P = 0.01) but not in men (P = 0.63). After adjusting for age, sex, and other confounders, DR was significantly associated with Chinese green tea consumption (OR = 0.48; P = 0.04), higher systolic blood pressure (OR = 1.02; P = 0.05), longer duration of diabetes (OR = 1.07; P = 0.02), and the presence of family history of diabetes (OR = 2.35; P = 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diabetic patients who had regularly drunk Chinese green tea every week for at least one year in their lives had a DR risk reduction of about 50% compared with those who had not. Regular Chinese green tea consumption may be a novel approach for the prevention of DR.
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China ; The 3rd People's Hospital of Xiangcheng District, Suzhou 215134, China.
authors.forename: Qinghua
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China ; Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou 215123, China.
authors.forename: Dandan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Peng
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
authors.forename: Chen-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013662:Tea
chemical_list: D013662:Tea