Tea Consumption and Long-Term Mortality in Very Elderly Individuals With or Without Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease: Findings From a Sample of 19664 Chinese

Background: The association between tea consumption and mortality among very elderly individuals, with or without cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (CCD), including stroke, remains unclear. This study hypothesised that a significant association exists.

Methods: We analysed data from two waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), spanning 1998/2000 to 2018, with a maximum follow-up of 20 years. Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for potential confounders, were used to examine the association between tea consumption and all-cause mortality among the oldest old ( ≥ 80 years) with or without CCD. Participants were categorised based on the frequency of tea consumption (rare, occasional or regular) at the time of the survey and around the age of 60.

Results: Due to violations of the proportional hazards assumption, Cox model results were reliable only for the first 8 years of follow-up. Among 19,664 elderly participants, frequent tea consumption was associated with a lower mortality risk during the initial 8 years (adjusted HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.89-0.97) compared to never or rare tea consumption. However, this association diminished over the full 20-year follow-up. The significant association was observed only in participants who also reported frequent tea consumption around the age of 60 (adjusted HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.85-0.95). No significant interaction was found between pre-existing CCD and the 8-year effect of tea consumption (P for interaction > 0.05).

Conclusion: Among very elderly Chinese individuals, frequent tea consumption was associated with reduced mortality over the short term, particularly in those who maintained this habit throughout life. No significant interaction effect was observed between pre-existing CCD and the mortality benefits of tea consumption.