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. Methods and Results-The study was performed on 6597 subjects aged >= 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 >= 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 >= 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 >= 3 cups/d (P = 0.08). Conclusion-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.