Study links caffeine to higher blood pressure

May 24, 1998
Web posted at: 9:23 p.m. EDT (0123 GMT)

From Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen

DURHAM, North Carolina (CNN) -- A new study by a Duke University Medical Center researcher indicates that people who drink four or five cups of coffee a day may have higher blood pressure -- and therefore a higher risk of heart disease or stroke -- than people who drink just one cup of java a day.

For the latest study, psychologist Jim Lane, who has been studying the effects of caffeine for the past 15 years, chose 19 healthy people. On one day, he gave them caffeine pills equaling one cup of a coffee, then gave them pills with the equivalent of four to five cups on another day. On both days, they wore a monitor that checked their blood pressure every 15 minutes.

The result? On the higher caffeine day, their blood pressure was five points higher.

And while a five-point increase might not sound like much, Lane says that over the years, drinking four or five cups of coffee a day can increase the risk of getting heart disease by 20 percent and increase the risk of having a stroke by 35 percent.

However, cardiologist Dr. Stuart Seides disagrees with Lane's conclusions.

"That's still a long, long, long stretch to saying that coffee consumption will result in a higher incidence of heart attacks or strokes," said Seides, who adds that while he is concerned about the effects of caffeine, he tells patients that two cups a day is all right.

Lane agrees that two cups a day is fine; that's how much he drinks.

Should you decide to stop drinking coffee or other caffeinated beverages, doctors advise not to quit cold turkey. Rather, people should taper off gradually, to avoid headaches.

CNN In-Depth:

• Heart

Related stories:

• Study: Extra weight increases hypertension risk in women - January 14, 1998
• Research: Hypertension speeds up brain aging, shrinkage - July 7, 1997
• Study: Potassium helps reduce blood pressure - May 27, 1997

Related sites:

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• Duke University Medical Center
• JAMA - The Journal of the American Medical Association
• American Heart Association National Center
  • High Blood Pressure

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