Tea Consumption and Mortality After Acute Myocardial Infarction by Kenneth J. Mukamal, MD, MPH, MA, Marissa Alert, Malcolm Maclure, ScD, James E. Muller, MD,
Background: Tea consumption is associated with lower
post-infarct mortality among patients with acute myocardial
infarction. We previously found preliminary evidence that tea
consumption may also be associated with lower risk of
infarct-related ventricular arrhythmias.
Methods: Between 1989 and 1996, 3882 subjects with AMI were
enrolled in the two phases of the Determinants of Myocardial
Infarction Onset Study a median of four days after admission.
Trained interviewers assessed self-reported usual tea and coffee
consumption during the year prior to infarction with a
standardized
questionnaire. We examined the prevalence of ventricular
arrhythmias in the two phases of the study separately and
together.
Results: Among the 1912 patients with complete information in the
first phase, the prevalence of ventricular arrhythmias was 16%
among abstainers from tea, 11% among moderate tea drinkers (14 cups
per week), and 14% among heavier tea drinkers (14 cups per week) (p
homogeneity 0.03). Among the 1791 patients with comparable
information in the second phase, the corresponding prevalence rates
were 11%, 8%, and 8%, respectively (p 0.06). When the phases were
combined, the adjusted odds ratios for VA were 0.7 (95%
confidence interval, 0.6-0.9) among moderate tea drinkers and 0.9
(95% confidence interval, 0.7-1.2) among heavier tea drinkers. The
findings were of similar direction for both ventricular tachycardia
and fibrillation. In contrast, there was higher risk of VA with
increasing coffee intake (odds ratio for 14 cups per week 1.3; 95%
confidence interval, 1.0 -1.7; p trend 0.02).
Conclusions: Moderate tea intake is associated with a lower
prevalence, and higher coffee intake with a slightly higher
prevalence, of ventricular arrhythmias among patients hospitalized
with acute myocardial infarction. If the association with tea
intake is confirmed, it may suggest new approaches to prevention of
ischemia-related arrhythmias.
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