People who drink coffee and tea are less likely to suffer dementia, according to a large study published this week. The research is from Harvard and appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), one of my profession’s top outlets. There is every reason to presume its conclusion is wrong.

A total of 131,821 people were followed over a period of up to 43 years. The number of dementia cases was high, giving the study good statistical power. Every few years a dietary questionnaire asked participants how much tea and coffee they drank:

After adjusting for potential confounders … higher caffeinated coffee intake was significantly associated with lower dementia risk … and lower prevalence of subjective cognitive decline.

After adjusting for potential confounders … higher caffeinated coffee intake was significantly associated with lower dementia risk … and lower prevalence of subjective cognitive decline.

Caffeine drinkers did better by almost every measure the authors examined.

This new research is noise. So is most medical research

This new research is noise. So is most medical research

Medical journals ask authors to report their competing interests, so I should say I’m drinking a latte as I write this. The coffee makes me feel more alert, more ready to meet the........

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