Drinking tea three or more times a week is associated with an 11.2 per cent lower risk of vascular disease, including stroke and heart attack, while consuming it at extremely high temperatures may increase the risk, according to a new study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.

Researchers followed nearly 500,000 people in China for an average of nine years, tracking their tea consumption and the development of related illnesses. They found that regular tea drinkers had a lower overall risk of vascular disease than those who drank tea less frequently.

The strongest association was recorded for ischaemic stroke, with a 36.6 per cent lower risk among regular tea drinkers. The study also found a 19.1 per cent reduction in cerebrovascular disease risk.

However, the findings varied according to the type of tea, its strength and the temperature at which it was consumed.

Tea is made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub native to East Asia. White, green, oolong, black and pu-erh teas all come from the same plant, with their flavours and chemical compositions shaped by processing and oxidation.

Researchers suggested that compounds found in tea, including polyphenols and flavonoids, could help explain the observed associations. These substances have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and may support the function of the endothelium, the inner lining of blood vessels, which plays an important role in healthy circulation.

Black tea showed the strongest and most consistent association with lower vascular disease risk, followed by green tea. The researchers pointed to compounds such as theaflavins, which develop during tea processing and have been studied for their potential anti-inflammatory and lipid-regulating effects.

Participants typically drank between two and three cups daily, although the lowest associated risk was observed among those consuming six to eight cups a day. The researchers also found that moderately strong tea served at a temperature that was not scalding was associated with more favourable outcomes.

In contrast, drinking tea at extremely high temperatures was linked to a 16 per cent increase in vascular disease risk. Very hot beverages have also been associated with a higher likelihood of oesophageal cancer in previous research.

The protective association was observed across most demographic groups and appeared stronger among participants with obesity.

However, the researchers cautioned that the findings do not establish that tea itself prevents cardiovascular disease. The study was observational, meaning it identified associations rather than proving cause and effect.

Dell Stanford, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, who was not involved in the research, said differences in participants’ diets and lifestyles could partly explain the results. She warned that the findings did not prove “that a daily cuppa protects your heart”.

The researchers stressed that tea should be considered part of a broader healthy lifestyle rather than a substitute for established prevention measures.

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of illness and death in the European Union, accounting for about one in three deaths and affecting an estimated 62 million people.

Researchers at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have developed an artificial intelligence model that analyses DNA to identify genetic factors associated with ischaemic stroke, potentially improving personalised prevention and treatment.

Stroke is the world’s second-leading cause of death. Ischaemic stroke, the most common type, occurs when a blood clot blocks blood flow to the brain.

The research team identified 18 genetic variants associated with an increased predisposition to ischaemic stroke. The findings could help doctors assess inherited risks more accurately and provide families with better information about their chances of developing the condition.

“When someone has a stroke, particularly at a young age, they often want to know whether other family members are also at risk,” said Kairui Guo, the study’s corresponding author. “These new AI tools will provide the ability to better help families understand that risk.”

Previous research has suggested that genetic factors account for approximately 38% of an individual’s stroke risk. Guo said genetics had traditionally received less attention in stroke risk assessments, despite their potential significance.

The researchers developed a model based on transformer technology, the same general approach used in large language models such as ChatGPT. It was trained on genetic variations to identify patterns and relationships linked to ischaemic stroke.

The model highlighted genes including EDEM2, which is active in the brain cortex, and KANK2, which is expressed in whole blood, as important contributors to genetic predisposition.

Researchers evaluated the system using two major medical datasets containing more than 40,000 people combined. It successfully divided individuals into low, medium and high genetic risk categories.

Over time, people classified in the high-risk group were 21% more likely to experience a first ischaemic stroke than those placed in the low-risk group.

The findings could help address limitations in existing methods for estimating inherited disease risk. Scientists have commonly used polygenic risk scores, which calculate genetic susceptibility by combining the effects of numerous genetic variations.

However, conventional scores can overlook interactions between genetic variations and the significance of their positions within a person’s DNA sequence. The new AI approach aims to account for such relationships when assessing risk.

Jie Lu, director of the Australian Artificial Intelligence Institute, said AI could identify associations between genes and diseases and support personalised risk assessments to help prevent serious medical events.

The next step is to develop a multimodal AI system that combines genetic information with other sources of data, including medical records, lifestyle surveys, scans and medical imaging.

Lu said genetic information was only one part of the overall picture. Combining it with established risk factors such as blood pressure, age, atrial fibrillation, type 2 diabetes and cholesterol levels could improve monitoring and prevention.

The researchers’ findings point towards a potential role for AI in more personalised stroke care, although further work would be needed before the technology could be adopted in routine clinical practice.

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is calling for menopause to be formally recognised in European Union workplace legislation, arguing that inadequate support is costing women earnings, career progression and pension income.

The confederation, which represents 45 million members across 41 European countries, wants employers to provide better workplace adjustments and protections for women experiencing menopause symptoms.

“Women’s work-related health risks remain largely ignored by the law, which remains orientated around male-dominated jobs,” said ETUC Deputy General Secretary Isabelle Schömann.

“It’s high time that the law caught up with the reality of the whole workforce today and the risks facing them,” she added.

The campaign comes as the European Parliament examines a report urging the EU to treat menopause as an economic, employment and social issue. The European Commission has acknowledged menopause in its wider gender equality agenda but has stopped short of proposing dedicated legislation or a separate EU strategy.

Menopause typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 and can affect women’s ability to work. Around 85% of women experience at least one symptom, while approximately 30% report symptoms that affect their capacity to work. These can include fatigue, sleep disruption, hot flushes, joint pain, anxiety and difficulty concentrating.

Research cited by the ETUC found that women’s earnings in Norway fell by 7.4% by the fourth year after a menopause diagnosis. Reduced working hours, sick leave and missed promotions contributed to the decline.

“Loss of pay, lost promotions, and lower pensions is the price being paid by millions of women for the failure to adapt work to the menopause,” Schömann said.

EU institutions face pressure to act

The European Commission’s Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030, published in March, includes commitments to exchange national best practices on menstrual and menopause poverty. It also plans a study for 2028 examining the economic and social benefits of closing the women’s health gap, including menopause.

However, in November 2025, Equality Commissioner Hadja Lahbib said the Commission was not planning a dedicated menopause strategy, pointing instead to research supported through Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe.

Spanish Socialist MEP Lina Gálvez is leading a draft European Parliament report titled Menopause beyond a health issue: turning menopause into an economic, working and social priority.

The report calls for a dedicated EU strategy, expanded research, public campaigns to challenge stigma, stronger workplace support and better access to healthcare. It is expected to receive further discussion in Parliament next year and has not yet become adopted EU policy.

Unions seek practical workplace changes

The ETUC wants workplace risk assessments to cover factors such as temperature, ventilation and facilities. It is also calling for flexible working hours, remote working options, management training and physical adjustments, including temperature controls and ergonomic equipment.

The confederation wants menopause policies to be negotiated with trade unions, implemented and monitored. It is also seeking free menstrual and menopause products in workplaces.

Schömann said the way work is organised can significantly affect women’s experience of menopause, adding that unions are already negotiating collective agreements covering workplace adjustments and flexible arrangements.

The campaign highlights growing pressure on EU institutions and employers to address menopause as a workplace issue, rather than treating it solely as a private medical concern.