Caffeine and High Blood Pressure

Studies on high blood pressure and caffeine indicate that drinking caffeinated beverages results in only short-term increases in blood pressure. Other risk factors tend to increase a person's chances of developing hypertension, and the condition is not likely to occur based on caffeine consumption alone. If you have heart disease, your doctor may recommend limiting the amount of caffeine you consume.

Diet for Reducing High Blood Pressure

Caffeine and High Blood Pressure: Is There a Connection?

Hypertension research studies have shown that caffeine in coffee, as well as in other drinks, such as tea and soda, raises blood pressure only temporarily. Once the caffeine is out of the body, the blood pressure returns to its "normal" level. Studies have also shown that in people who drink coffee on a regular basis, blood pressure does not increase as much as in someone who does not drink coffee regularly.

Caffeine will not increase the risk of developing high blood pressure (hypertension) in a person with normal blood pressure. People with high blood pressure should be able to have drinks that contain caffeine; however, they should talk to their doctor first. People who are particularly sensitive to caffeine or who have heart disease may be advised to decrease the amount they consume.

Research on High Blood Pressure and Caffeine Intake

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in November 2005 further clarified that coffee does not increase the risk of developing high blood pressure.

Interestingly, however, this study showed that colas, both diet and those containing sugar, did increase the chances of developing high blood pressure. These study results need to be further clarified.