The Latest Medical News

A Summary of The Latest Medical News: **Brewing Up Brain Protection: New Study Links Coffee and Tea to Lower Dementia Risk** Researchers from Mass General Brigham, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Broad Institute have uncovered promising evidence that moderate daily intake of caffeinated coffee or tea could help ward off dementia and support sharper cognition.[1][2][4] **Massive Long-Term Study Delivers Solid Data** This prospective cohort study tracked over 131,000 participants—mostly nurses and health professionals—from the Nurses' Health Study (86,606 women, starting 1980) and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (45,215 men, starting 1986), spanning up to 43 years with a median follow-up of 36.8 years.[1][2] **Key Findings on Caffeinated Coffee** Higher caffeinated coffee consumption was linked to an 18% lower dementia risk (hazard ratio 0.82, comparing highest vs. lowest quartiles: 141 vs. 330 cases per 100,000 person-years), reduced subjective cognitive decline (7.8% vs. 9.5% prevalence), and slightly better objective cognitive scores like the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS) in women.[1][2][4] **Tea Packs a Similar Punch** Greater tea intake showed comparable benefits for lowering dementia risk and improving cognitive function, with nonlinear dose-response curves peaking at optimal levels.[1][3] **The Sweet Spot: 2-3 Cups of Coffee Daily** The strongest associations emerged with about **2 to 3 cups per day of caffeinated coffee** or **1 to 2 cups of tea**, delivering neuroprotective effects without downsides from higher amounts—benefits held across genetic dementia risk levels.[1][2] **Caffeine, Not Decaf, Steals the Show** Decaffeinated coffee showed no such protective links, pointing to caffeine (plus polyphenols) as key players in reducing inflammation, cellular damage, and cognitive decline.[1][2][4] **Why This Matters for Everyday Prevention** With 11,033 dementia cases identified via records and diagnoses, and limited treatments available, these findings spotlight simple lifestyle tweaks amid inconsistent prior research plagued by short follow-ups and poor beverage differentiation.[1][2] **A Word of Perspective from the Experts** Senior author Daniel Wang notes the effect size is small: "Caffeinated coffee or tea can be one piece of the puzzle" alongside other brain-healthy habits, urging balanced prevention strategies.[2] **Room for More Research Ahead** While mouse studies back caffeine's role in curbing amyloid buildup and inflammation, human trials like an ongoing randomized controlled study (ending 2024) are needed to confirm mechanisms and causality—past results have varied, especially by sex.[1][5] Help with your insurance? https://tally.so/r/n012P9