Diet and lifestyle changes are some of the most effective ways to lower your blood pressure. But with some foods and drinks, like coffee, it’s not immediately clear whether you can enjoy it or you should avoid it to lower your risk of high blood pressure. That’s why we asked cardiologists and dietitians: Can coffee raise your blood pressure? As it turns out, the answer is a bit complicated.
Meet the experts: Ragavendra Baliga, M.B.B.S., a cardiologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center; Cheng-Han Chen, M.D., an interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA; Jessica Cording, R.D., the author of The Little Book of Game-Changers.
If you have hypertension (a.k.a. high blood pressure) or are looking for ways to lower blood pressure naturally, there is a chance coffee may raise your blood pressure, said Cheng-Han Chen, M.D., an interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA. However, coffee likely won’t have a blood pressure-increasing effect in everyone. Read on to discover the link between coffee and blood pressure, plus the factors that impact the effects of coffee on blood pressure, and more you should know.
Does drinking coffee raise your blood pressure?
It might, mainly because of the caffeine. “Caffeine blocks adenosine, a molecule that helps blood vessels relax,” explained Ragavendra Baliga, M.B.B.S., a cardiologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “This can cause a temporary rise in blood pressure, especially in those who aren’t habitual coffee drinkers.”
Coffee is also a known stimulant and may temporarily increase your heart rate along with your blood pressure, Dr. Chen said. “Beyond that, it’s ultimately not well understood why caffeine causes spikes in blood pressure,” Dr. Chen said.
All that said, there’s no guarantee that the caffeine in coffee will spike your blood pressure. “Everyone responds differently to caffeine,” pointed out Jessica Cording, R.D., the author of The Little Book of Game-Changers. Dr. Chen adds that you could technically see blood pressure spikes after having tea, eating chocolate, or having anything that contains caffeine.
Some research suggests that coffee may cause blood pressure spikes. One meta-analysis in the Journal of Functional Foods found that there was a noticeable increase in blood pressure in adults who had caffeine, with a more significant jump in people who had caffeine for less than a week compared to those who had caffeine for more than a week. Another study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that participants with very high blood pressure who had two or more cups of caffeinated coffee a day had up to double the risk of dying from a heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular disease. But that increased risk didn’t apply to people with lower baseline blood pressure levels who drank two or more cups of coffee daily.
In fact, a daily coffee habit may lead to fewer spikes in your blood pressure over time, Dr. Baliga said. “In regular coffee drinkers, the body builds some tolerance,” he said. “While occasional spikes may occur, chronic consumption has a modest long-term effect on blood pressure for most individuals.” So, if you have a daily coffee habit, you’re less likely to see those blood pressure spikes than if you grab a cup here and there.
Factors that impact coffee’s effects on blood pressure
There are a lot of different elements that can influence how much coffee impacts your blood pressure, according to doctors. They include:
- Your genes. CYP1A2 variants in particular impact how your body breaks down caffeine, Dr. Baliga said.
- Your age. Caffeine tends to have a bigger impact on younger people, causing more significant changes in blood pressure than those who are older.
- Your sex. Men tend to metabolize caffeine faster than women.
- Whether you’re a smoker. The nicotine in cigarettes and e-cigarettes can speed up your metabolism and increase the impact of caffeine on your blood pressure.
- Your coffee brew and type. The amount of caffeine in coffee can vary by type and brew strength, Dr. Chen pointed out.
- How often you drink coffee. People tend to build up a tolerance to caffeine after about two weeks of use. From there, Dr. Chen said the caffeine may have less of an impact on your blood pressure.
Can you drink coffee if you have hypertension?
If you have hypertension, Dr. Chen did not recommend increasing your caffeine intake. “If you don’t drink coffee regularly, you should keep in mind that any time you drink coffee or anything with caffeine, it could lead to a spike in blood pressure,” he said. “But if you drink coffee pretty regularly, it’s probably less of an issue.”
Dr. Baliga also recommended monitoring how you feel after you drink coffee. If you find that you don’t feel great afterward, he suggested scaling back. But in general, Dr. Baliga said he recommends that people try to stay under 400 to 450 milligrams a day of caffeine, or about three to four cups of brewed coffee. “This is typically safe for most adults, but those with hypertension or sensitivity may need less,” he added.
If you have hypertension, your healthcare provider will usually recommend that you monitor yourself at home. To check your blood pressure at home, Dr. Baliga recommended investing in an automatic upper-arm blood pressure monitor. “Check it at the same time daily, preferably more than one hour after a meal, avoid caffeine and exercise 30 minutes prior, and share your readings with your doctor for guidance,” he said.
The American Heart Association (AHA) also suggests following these steps to get an accurate blood pressure reading at home:
- Remove clothing over the arm that you’ll use to measure your blood pressure.
- Try to sit still for at least five minutes before taking a reading (don’t talk or use the phone).
- Sit with your back straight and supported, with your feet on the floor.
- Support your arm on a flat surface.
- Place the middle of the cuff on your upper arm at heart level.
- Take multiple readings, one minute apart, and record the results.
If you have hypertension or a family history of the condition, Dr. Chen stressed the importance of roping in a healthcare professional to talk through things like your coffee intake. “This is really a question for your doctor,” he said. They can give you the personalized recommendations that will best support you and your health.
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