Women Tea Drinkers

[Guest guest]

Women Tea-drinkers Have Less Arterial Plaque

 

Monday, February 18, 2008 10:01 AM

 

Women who drink tea may be protecting themselves from a build-up of

artery-clogging plaque, so lowering their risk

for heart disease and stroke, findings

from a French study suggest.

Dr. Mahmoud Zureik and colleagues found that older women who reported

drinking at least three cups of tea a day were

less likely to have plaque in the

carotid arteries in their neck than those drinking less tea.

The investigators, all with INSERM, France's national institute for

medical

research, report their findings in the journal Arteriosclerosis,

Thrombosis,

and Vascular Biology.

Zureik's team analyzed ultrasound measures of carotid artery plaque

among

2,613 men and 3,984 women, aged about 73 years

old on average, in relation to tea

drinking and other dietary habits, and medical and personal history

obtained

during in-person interviews conducted from 1999 to 2001.

Carotid plaques were evident in 44 percent of female non-tea-

drinkers, in

42.5 percent of women who reported drinking 1 to

2 cups of tea daily, and in only

33.7 percent of those who reported drinking 3 or more cups per day.

The association between fewer instances of carotid plaques and

increased

daily tea consumption was independent of other

dietary habits, major vascular risk

factors, age, area of residence, and education, the investigators

note.

" There was no association of tea consumption with carotid plaques in

men, "

the team found.

The investigators did not gather data on the types of tea consumed or

the

duration of tea drinking among participants, and they are unclear why

the

association occurred among women and not men.

SOURCE: Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, February

2008.

© 2008 Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution

of

Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is

expressly

prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.

 

Val

[Guest guest]

At 11:13 PM 2/19/2008, you wrote:

Interesting... Perhaps I should start drinking regular tea again.

Maybe I missed it, but do you think it could be the tannin? Although,

they didn't say what kind of tea, I'm assuming just plain old black tea?

And why women and not men? Although they said they tested women up to age

73, could it be whatever is in the tea and the hormonal differences in

the sexes that explains why the sexes react so differently? Anyone have

any ideas?

Lynn

 

Women Tea-drinkers Have Less

Arterial Plaque

Monday, February 18, 2008 10:01 AM

Women who drink tea may be protecting themselves from a build-up of

artery-clogging plaque, so lowering their risk

for heart disease and stroke, findings

from a French study suggest.

Dr. Mahmoud Zureik and colleagues found that older women who

reported

drinking at least three cups of tea a day were

less likely to have plaque in the

carotid arteries in their neck than those drinking less tea.

The investigators, all with INSERM, France's national institute for

medical

research, report their findings in the journal Arteriosclerosis,

Thrombosis,

and Vascular Biology.

Zureik's team analyzed ultrasound measures of carotid artery plaque

among

2,613 men and 3,984 women, aged about 73 years

old on average, in relation to tea

drinking and other dietary habits, and medical and personal history

obtained

during in-person interviews conducted from 1999 to 2001.

Carotid plaques were evident in 44 percent of female non-tea-

drinkers, in

42.5 percent of women who reported drinking 1 to

2 cups of tea daily, and in only

33.7 percent of those who reported drinking 3 or more cups per day.

The association between fewer instances of carotid plaques and

increased

daily tea consumption was independent of other

dietary habits, major vascular risk

factors, age, area of residence, and education, the investigators

note.

" There was no association of tea consumption with carotid plaques in

 

men, "

the team found.

The investigators did not gather data on the types of tea consumed or

 

the

duration of tea drinking among participants, and they are unclear why

 

the

association occurred among women and not men.

SOURCE: Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, February

 

2008.

© 2008 Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution

 

of

Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is

expressly

prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.

Val