Consumption frequencies of beverages and the hypertension risk in adults: a cohort study in China

OBJECTIVE: To explore the associations between the consumption frequencies of alcohol, tea and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and the hypertension risk among Chinese adults. DESIGN: A longitudinal study of the effect of beverage consumption on hypertension risk. SETTING: Nine provinces in China, including Jiangsu, Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Shandong and Henan. PARTICIPANTS: The longitudinal data of the China Health and Nutrition Survey from 2004 to 2015 were used. A total of 4427 participants from 9 provinces were included at baseline. OUTCOME: First incidence of hypertension. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 8.7 years, 1478 participants developed hypertension. Alcohol consumption more than twice a week in young men (HR 1.86, 95% CI 1.09 to 3.18) or middle-aged men (HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.87) was associated with a higher hypertension risk. Middle-aged women who consumed tea frequently (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.97), or young women who consumed SSBs less than once a week (HR 0.31, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.67) had a lower risk of hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: High-frequency alcohol consumption increased the risk of hypertension in men, and frequent tea consumption and low-frequency SSBs consumption were associated with lower risk of hypertension in women. Consumption frequency of beverages was also suggested to be considered in the prevention and control of hypertension.