Hypertension, affecting approximately one-third of adults globally, is a known risk factor for dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. Effective management of hypertension could potentially reduce the incidence of dementia by up to 40%. Coffee and tea, containing compounds like caffeine and chlorogenic acid, have been suggested to offer neuroprotective benefits and reduce inflammation. Despite these possibilities, further research is needed to establish a definitive link between these beverages and dementia risk in hypertensive individuals.
The UK Biobank study, which began in 2006 and included over 500,000 participants aged 39-74 from Wales, England, and Scotland, provided a substantial dataset for this investigation. Participants underwent physical examinations, completed detailed questionnaires, and had their health monitored through comprehensive electronic records.
Among the participants, 54.62% had hypertension. The average age was 72.39 years, with a demographic composition of 54.33% female and 94.13% white. Over the follow-up period, hypertensive individuals experienced a higher incidence of all-cause dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and vascular dementia compared to their non-hypertensive counterparts.
For hypertensive individuals, consuming 0.5 to 1 cup of coffee daily was associated with the lowest risk of all-cause dementia. However, no significant relationship was found between coffee consumption and the risk of Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia in this group. In contrast, tea consumption was linked to a reduced risk of all-cause dementia, especially among those drinking four to five cups per day. This association was not observed in non-hypertensive participants.
Hypertensive individuals who consumed both coffee and tea exhibited a lower risk of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, with moderate consumption of both beverages showing the greatest benefit. Ground coffee was associated with a reduced risk of all-cause and vascular dementia in both hypertensive and non-hypertensive populations, while no significant link was found between the temperature of hot drinks and dementia risk.
Caffeine intake also correlated with a lower risk of all-cause and vascular dementia among hypertensive participants, though no such association was found for non-hypertensive individuals.
This study indicates that hypertension significantly increases the risk of dementia, but moderate coffee and tea consumption may offer protective benefits. Specifically, hypertensive individuals who consumed 0.5-1 cup of coffee or 4-5 cups of tea daily had a lower risk of developing all-cause and vascular dementia. The benefits of ground coffee were notable across both hypertensive and non-hypertensive groups, with no impact of hot drink temperature on dementia risk.
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