Green Tea Polyphenols Ameliorate Esophagitis rather than Aspirin in a Non-Randomized Prospective Cohort Study

Green tea polyphenols (GTPs) and aspirin were demonstrated to be novel candidates for cancer chemoprevention. This study aimed to investigate effects of GTPs and aspirin on esophageal diseases.

This non-randomized prospective cohort study recruited participants from October 2010 to September 2011, who self-reported long-term GTPs intake, aspirin intake, and no medicine use in a questionnaire and underwent gastroscopy. Regression was defined as any reversal of process from normal epithelium to esophageal high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia. The primary outcome was regression rates after a 1-year follow-up.

A total of 159, 151, 160 participants self-reported GTPs intake, aspirin intake, and no medication, respectively. After 1 year, 78, 81, and 83 participants received follow-up endoscopy in GTPs, aspirin, and control groups, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in baseline pathology between the final cohort and lost to follow-up group. The average age of participants was 50.11 ± 5.62 years old, consisting of 42 females and 200 males. The regression rates of esophageal precursor diseases were 68%, 55%, and 48% in GTPs, aspirin, and control groups, respectively (p = 0.036). Analyzing esophagitis subgroup, the regression rate of GTPs group (43/69, 62%) was significantly higher than aspirin group (32/67, 48%) and control group (27/70, 39%) (p = 0.019). One person experienced nausea for GTPs (1/159) and one person experienced gastrointestinal bleeding in the aspirin group (1/151).

GTPs, rather than aspirin, were associated with esophagitis remission compared with the control group. The benefits of GTPs on esophageal precursor diseases make it a promising health supplement.