COFFEE AND TEA CONSUMPTION IN A HIGH CARDIOVASCULAR RISK MEDITERRANEAN POPULATION

Introduction: Coffee and tea consumption recommendations for a healthy diet have been changing in recent years as it has increased the level of evidence on their benefits has increased. Objective: To know the frequency of coffee and tea consumption of in a high cardiovascular risk Mediterranean population (CVR) and to analyze whether there are differences between the consumption of these drinks by cardiovascular risk factors Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 945 people (340 males, 605 females) (67.4 +/- 6.2 years old) with high CVR recruited in primary care centres of Valencia, included in the PREDIMED study. Coffee and tea consumption has been determined through a validated questionnaire. We analyzed biochemical, clinical and anthropometric variables by standard methods. Results: Tea consumption is very low in this Mediterranean population (0,4 +/- 1,6 cups/weeks). By contrast, coffee consumption averaged nearly one cup per day (6,5 +/- 5,2 cups/weeks). Hypertensive patients showed a lower overall consumption of coffee than in non-hypertensive patients (6,6 +/- 5,1 vs 7,3 +/- 5,9; P = 0,023 respectively). These differences were greatest when caffeinated coffee consumption is analyzed (2.9 +/- 45 vs 43 +/- 5.3, P<0001). Moreover, diabetics consumed significantly less coffee and tea than non-diabetics (P = 0,015 and P = 0,022 respectively), these differences being greater for caffeinated coffee (P<0,025). Conclusions: In conclusion, in this high cardiovascular risk Mediterranean population a coffee consumption pattern, based on traditional recommendations, is observed, that as a result of new scientific evidence should be update.