Coffee and Green Tea Consumption and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Among People With and Without Hypertension

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to examine the impacts of coffee and green tea consumption on cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality among people with severe hypertension. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the JACC (Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk), 18 609 participants (6574 men and 12 035 women) aged 40 to 79 years at baseline who completed a lifestyle, diet, and medical history questionnaire, and health examinations, were followed up until 2009. We classified the participants into four blood pressure (BP) categories: optimal and normal BP, high‐normal BP, grade 1 hypertension, and grade 2–3 hypertension. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to calculate the multivariable hazard ratios with 95% CIs of CVD mortality. During the 18.9 years of median follow‐up, a total of 842 CVD deaths were documented. Coffee consumption was associated with an increased risk of CVD mortality among people with grade 2–3 hypertension; the multivariable hazard ratios (95% CI) of CVD mortality were 0.98 (0.67–1.43) for <1 cup/day, 0.74 (0.37–1.46) for 1 cup/day, and 2.05 (1.17–3.59) for ≥2 cups/day, compared with non–coffee drinkers. Such associations were not found among people with optimal and normal, high‐normal BP, and grade 1 hypertension. Green tea consumption was not associated with an increased risk of CVD across any BP categories. CONCLUSIONS: Heavy coffee consumption was associated with an increased risk of CVD mortality among people with severe hypertension, but not people without hypertension and with grade 1 hypertension. In contrast, green tea consumption was not associated with an increased risk of CVD mortality across all categories of BP.