[Coffee and tea consumption in a high cardiovascular risk Mediterranean population]

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.

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.

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.

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+/-4.5 vs 4.3+/-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).

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.