How does caffeine increase blood pressure?
Caffeine is a stimulant found in coffee, tea and many energy drinks. When entering the body, caffeine can slightly increase blood pressure in a short time, usually lasting from one to nine hours after use. However, this increase is not the same in everyone.
According to Dr. Stephen Juraschek - internist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School (USA), caffeine can cause vasoconstriction and stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, thereby temporarily increasing blood pressure. He said this reaction depends on many factors such as caffeine habits, basal blood pressure, weight, pregnancy status, smoking and some medications being taken.
People who drink coffee regularly may develop tolerability, making blood pressure levels less pronounced than those who rarely drink it. Some small studies show that people who are not used to drinking coffee tend to have acute blood pressure after using espresso, while regular drinkers do not change significantly. However, there is currently not enough evidence to confirm that quitting coffee will significantly reduce blood pressure in this group.
Hypertensive people should be cautious
For people with hypertension, especially at levels two and three, consuming a lot of coffee may be accompanied by a higher cardiovascular risk. A study tracking more than 18,000 people for nearly two decades showed that severe hypertension patients who drank two cups of coffee or more per day had a higher risk of death from stroke or myocardial infarction than those who drank less.
It is noteworthy that in the same study, green tea did not record a similar link, suggesting that the type of drink and accompanying ingredient caffeine can also affect the reaction of blood pressure.
When stopping caffeine suddenly, some people may experience withdrawal syndrome with symptoms such as headache, fatigue, irritability and difficulty concentrating in the first 12 to 24 hours. Medical literature on the StatPearls platform records that there is no clear rule on whether blood pressure increases or decreases during this period. Experts recommend gradually reducing instead of stopping abruptly, especially in people with a history of hypertension.
In general, quitting caffeine can help avoid temporary high blood pressure episodes. However, long-term effects need to be individualized and should consult a doctor to ensure safety.
