Coffee Side Effects: Can Too Much Caffeine Increase Your Blood Pressure? Here’s The Truth

People with high blood pressure should exercise some caution when drinking coffee but do not need to avoid it.

Sudden anxiety, difficulty breathing, nausea, and chest pain can be symptoms of high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a prevalent condition that impacts over 220 million people in India. Hypertension is a progressive disease that can cause other comorbidities like coronary artery disease, stroke, COPD, and diabetes. The massive prevalence and risk of the disease raise questions about different prevention strategies and treatment options. One of them is whether drinking coffee regularly can help keep blood pressure levels low.

Can Coffee Increase Blood Pressure?

Coffee is known to temporarily increase blood pressure. In the case of hypertensive patients, caffeine may impact their blood pressure levels more. After a temporary spike, the blood pressure levels get back to normal.

The debate about coffee lowering blood pressure comes from a report by Nutrients2 that states that drinking three cups of coffee in a single day can lower hypertension levels. This is because caffeine has compounds like chlorogenic acids, cafestol, and kahweol, as well as small amounts of magnesium and potassium. These compounds are known to have a positive effect on blood pressure levels, but their use in controlling hypertension is unknown.

Coffee consumption can have benefits and limitations for people with high blood pressure issues. Here are few benefits and limitations that one should know:

Benefits

• Caffeine can help with short-term blood pressure spikes during hypotension.
• It can stimulate the central nervous system and enhance cognitive function.

Limitations

• Temporary blood pressure spikes may have an adverse effect on patients who already have high blood pressure.
• Regular coffee consumption can create a dependency on the beverage. Over time, its effect will start reducing, and people will experience withdrawal symptoms.
• Excessive caffeine usage may interfere with the effectiveness of drugs people use for blood pressure management.
• Due to these factors, it is important to practice precaution and consult with a doctor before starting the intake of any drink or medication for medical purposes.

According to given factors, Hypertensive patients must avoid consuming too much caffeine in to control high blood pressure.

(Inputs: Dr. Abhishek Singh, Consultant – Cardiology, Manipal Hospital Ghaziabad)