Tea consumption and cognitive health in Chinese older adults: A propensity score matching and weighting analysis

Jie Huang; Jiaqi Xu; Yiqing Gu; Hao Sun; Huan Liu; Yan He; Mengjie Li; Xin Gao; Zaixiang Tang; Hongfen Wang

doi:10.1016/j.archger.2024.105735

Tea consumption and cognitive health in Chinese older adults: A propensity score matching and weighting analysis

Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2024 Dec 25:131:105735. doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2024.105735. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Jie Huang¹, Jiaqi Xu¹, Yiqing Gu¹, Hao Sun¹, Huan Liu¹, Yan He¹, Mengjie Li¹, Xin Gao², Zaixiang Tang³, Hongfen Wang⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, MOE Key Laboratory of Geriatric Diseases and Immunology, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, PR China.
² Centre for Psychological Health Education, Changzhou Vocational Institute of Engineering, Changzhou 213164, PR China.
³ Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, MOE Key Laboratory of Geriatric Diseases and Immunology, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ Department of Neurology, The First Center of the PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 39752841
DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2024.105735

Abstract

Background: The association between tea consumption, especially different types, and cognitive function has not been adequately explored. This study aimed to investigate the associations of tea consumption, including status, frequency, and type, with cognitive function, considering selection bias.

Methods: We used data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) in 2018(N = 8498). Cognitive function was measured by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Logistic and linear regression were applied to assess the associations of tea consumption with cognitive impairment and cognitive scores, respectively. Propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) were used to balance characteristic differences between groups.

Results: The characteristics of tea consumption status, frequency and type were well balanced between groups after using PSM and IPTW. Drinking tea was associated with less cognitive impairment (OR_adjusted:0.84, OR_PSM:0.84, OR_IPTW:0.87) and higher cognitive scores (Coefficient_adjusted:0.29, Coefficient_PSM:0.33, Coefficient_IPTW:0.29). Regular tea drinkers may have better cognitive function than those who never or rarely consumed (P_trend < 0.05 for both methods). Green tea drinkers had lower prevalence of cognitive impairment (OR_adjusted:0.71, OR_IPTW:0.75) and higher cognitive scores (Coefficient_adjusted:0.45, Coefficient_IPTW:0.54). Men, uneducated, and those with annual income>10,000 RMB were more likely to benefit from flower tea. Significant interactions of tea consumption with age, education and income were observed.

Conclusions: Tea consumption, especially regular and green tea consumption, was associated with less cognitive impairment and higher cognitive scores, even after PSM and IPTW adjustments. Flower teas may have potential protective effect that is worth further study. Age, education and income have synergistic effects with tea consumption on cognitive function.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Cognitive function; Cognitive impairment; Inverse probability of treatment weighting; Propensity score; Propensity score matching.