Can people with high blood pressure drink coffee?

How does caffeine affect blood pressure?

Caffeine can cause a short-term increase in blood pressure, even if you don’t have high blood pressure. This short-term spike in blood pressure is most common in people who don’t regularly consume caffeine. However, blood pressure responses to caffeine vary from person to person.

It's not clear why caffeine causes some people's blood pressure to rise briefly. Some researchers think it may block a hormone that helps keep arteries open.

Người bị huyết áp cao có uống được cà phê không? - 1 — There is much debate about the health benefits of coffee (Photo: Imlpuse)

Others believe that caffeine causes the adrenal glands to release more adrenaline, which raises blood pressure. Stress may also play a role.

According to the Mayo Clinic , people who regularly drink caffeine develop a tolerance to caffeine. As a result, caffeine has no long-term effects on blood pressure and is not associated with the risk of high blood pressure, also known as hypertension.

If you have high blood pressure, you probably don't need to limit or stop drinking caffeine if you drink it regularly. But check with your doctor to be sure.

If you don’t have high blood pressure, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says 400 mg of caffeine a day is generally safe for most adults. But your genes determine how your body breaks down caffeine.

So some people can take more than 400 mg per day and some can take less before they experience side effects.

These side effects include insomnia, heartburn, urinary symptoms, a feeling of rapid, fluttering, or pounding heartbeat, also known as nervousness, anxiety…

Keep in mind that the amount of caffeine in coffee, energy drinks, and other beverages varies depending on the brand and how the beverage is prepared.

To see if caffeine can raise your blood pressure, check your blood pressure before drinking a cup of coffee or other caffeinated beverage and check again 30 to 120 minutes later.

If you don’t drink coffee regularly and your blood pressure increases by about 5 to 10 points, you may be sensitive to the blood pressure-raising effects of caffeine. If you’re planning to cut back on caffeine, do so over a few days to a week to avoid caffeine withdrawal headaches.

Coffee and your health

According to Harvard Medical School , blood pressure is a major predictor of heart attacks and strokes. Even if coffee doesn't raise blood pressure in regular coffee drinkers, does it live up to its reputation as a cause of heart disease?

In a two-year study of 45,589 men between the ages of 40 and 75, Harvard scientists found no link between coffee consumption and the risk of coronary artery disease or stroke, even in heavy drinkers.

And although some coffee drinkers find the sensation of a rapid pulse unpleasant, coffee does not appear to cause serious heart rhythm disturbances, even in patients who have recently had a heart attack.

Coffee is a complex beverage and has many effects beyond the cardiovascular system. Some people benefit from increased alertness, but for others, the neurological effects of coffee include insomnia, anxiety, or tremors.

Regular coffee drinkers develop a mild dependence, so sudden withdrawal may cause temporary headaches or depression. Migraine sufferers may experience attacks from sudden increases or decreases in coffee consumption.

Some coffee drinkers benefit from increased bowel movements, which helps relieve constipation, but others experience gastroesophageal reflux and heartburn.

Harvard studies show that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of diabetes, gallstones, and kidney stones, and an Italian study shows some protection against colon cancer.

So when it comes to coffee, the choice is yours. If you like it, drink it to your heart’s content. But if you find it unpleasant, cut back or skip it altogether. Until we have definitive scientific data, common sense and moderation are the best guidelines.