Tea Consumption and Mortality After Acute Myocardial Infarction

Abstract

Background — Some studies have suggested that tea consumption may be associated with lower mortality among individuals with cardiovascular disease, but the effects of tea consumption on mortality after acute myocardial infarction are unknown. Methods and Results — As part of the Determinants of Myocardial Infarction Onset Study, we performed a prospective cohort study of 1900 patients hospitalized with a confirmed acute myocardial infarction between 1989 and 1994, with a median follow-up of 3.8 years. Trained interviewers assessed self-reported usual weekly caffeinated tea consumption during the year before infarction with a standardized questionnaire. We compared long-term mortality according to tea consumption using Cox proportional hazards regression. Of the 1900 patients, 1019 consumed no tea (nondrinkers), 615 consumed Conclusions — Self-reported tea consumption in the year before acute myocardial infarction is associated with lower mortality after infarction.