Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) - The Silent Killer

Myth 5: My blood pressure is high only because I drink so much coffee. Caffeine’s effect on the body, and particularly blood pressure, is still widely debated. Studies have shown that for people who don’t have caffeine on a regular basis, drinking coffee, tea, some soft drinks, chocolate and headache remedies may cause blood pressure to go up – but only temporarily. Researchers have noted a significant increase in blood pressure of 2.4 mm Hg systolic (the upper number) and 1.2 mm Hg diastolic (the lower number) for people drinking an average of five cups of coffee a day. As well, the body does seem to become tolerant to the effects of caffeine when it is consumed regularly, so the long-term effects on blood pressure are not well-understood. When having your blood pressure taken, you may want to avoid coffee for several hours before in order to get an accurate reading. Talk to your doctor before consuming any caffeine products, including coffee. Caffeine may also aggravate other heart conditions like arrhythmia. Read more myths and facts about high blood pressure in the Foundation’s brochure entitled Get Your Blood Pressure Under Control. The information contained in this post was obtained from  - Heart and Stroke Foundation (Canada) Monica Disclaimer The material provided on this site is designed for information and educational purposes only. The materials are not intended to be a self diagnostic and/or self treatment tool. I encourage you to use this information as a tool for discussing your condition with your health practitioner.