Drinking green tea, coffee lowers risk of death for stroke and heart attack survivors
Stroke Journal Report
The study also found daily coffee
consumption helps heart attack survivors by lowering their risk of death after
a heart attack and can prevent heart attacks or strokes in healthy individuals.
Previous research has
examined the benefits of green tea and coffee on heart health in people without
a history of cardiovascular disease or cancer. Researchers in the study “Green
tea and coffee consumption and all-cause mortality among persons with and
without stroke or myocardial infarction” sought to determine the effects of
green tea and coffee consumption after surviving a stroke or heart attack.
“There is a strong
need for scientific evidence on the lifestyles among survivors of stroke and
heart attack considering the rapidly aging population and the need to improve
life expectancy following these cardiovascular events,” says Hiroyasu Iso,
M.D., a professor of public health at Osaka University in Suita, Japan, and the
study’s corresponding author.
Researchers analyzed data of more than 46,000 participants (ages 40 to 79, 60% female) from the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk (JACC study), a study conducted in 45 communities across Japan.
Participants were asked to complete self-administered questionnaires that included information about demographics, lifestyle, medical history and diet. People were then divided into three groups: history of stroke; history of myocardial infarction (MI); and no history of stroke or MI. Researchers then analyzed the amount and frequency of green tea and coffee consumption.
Researchers noted that a typical cup of green
tea contains approximately 100mL (about 3.4 ounces) of liquid, and a typical
cup of coffee contains approximately 150mL (about 5 ounces) of liquid.
Results include:
When compared with
participants who rarely drank green tea, stroke survivors who consumed at least
seven cups of green tea daily lowered their risk of all-cause mortality by
approximately 62%. Researchers did not observe a statistically significant
association among participants without a history of stroke or heart attack.
Heart attack survivors
who drank one cup of coffee a day reduced their overall risk of death by
approximately 22% when compared to those who did not regularly drink coffee.
People without a
history of stroke or heart attack who consumed one or more cups of coffee a
week had approximately a 14% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to
non-coffee drinkers.
Green tea consumption
can prevent further cardiovascular events in survivors, while drinking coffee
can prevent such events in healthy individuals.
“An important
distinction to make is that in Japanese culture, green tea is generally
prepared with water and without sugar. Additionally, coffee is prepared with
water and occasionally milk and sugar,” said Iso. “The healthiest way to
prepare these beverages is without an unnecessary amount of added sugars.”
Researchers note that
this study was observational, and the reason why drinking green tea and coffee
lowered the risk of heart attack and stroke cannot be determined. Further
research is needed to understand the details in the different effects of green
tea and coffee.
Co-authors are Masayui
Teramoto, M.D.; Iso Muraki, M.D, Ph.D.; Kazumasa Yamagishi, M.D., Ph.D.; Akiko
Tamakoshi, M.D., Ph.D.
Additional Resources:
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After Feb. 4, view the manuscript online.
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