I am 60 in very good physical condition, exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, resting BP is 110/70 with heart rate of 51 to 55. But I enjoy coffee, have for a long time, but take regular breaks due to side effects, including difficulty going to sleep. Because I breakdown caffeine very slowly, one shot of expresso or cup of coffee (I like it strong) at 8-9 am keeps me wired until midnight. So was filling out a medical questionnaire for my health-care provider, needed BP but had not had it taken for several years by doctor (skipped during Covid), so I took it myself with a very good digital monitor that gives same results as what doctor gets. Happened to drink coffee that morning at 8 am, 6 oz half reg. half decaf, and a small shot of reg. expresso, blood pressure was 134/82 at 10 am and stayed in that range for ~6 hrs more. Just a small shot of expresso increases BP to 128/80, but heart rate stays around 51-53. Never knew that caffeine did that to me. Should I be concerned, and/or careful about caffeine? Immediately after doing vigorous exercise without caffeine my BP is 156/76 with heart rate of 124, but it drops back to normal rapidly. I have not checked BP after exercise when on caffeine, but now wondering if caffeine pushes it even higher. Things change as we get older, concerned caffeine induced BP rise could cause a stroke as I get older
Caffeine - Coffee increases BP from 110/70 to 134/82 for 8 hrs!?
Question posted by Sandman1221 on 27 Feb 2022
Last updated on 1 March 2022 by Sandman1221
The information on this page reflects personal experiences shared by our community members. It is not reviewed for medical accuracy and should not replace professional medical advice.
Answers
Found the answer and it is no, i.e., the rise in systolic BP due to caffeine in the 130-138 range in normal individuals does not increase risks for stroke and other related disease as reported in the following paper, which was very well done:
Hypertension Risk Status and Effect of Caffeine on Blood Pressure, Terry R. Hartley , Bong Hee Sung , Gwendolyn A. Pincomb , Thomas L. Whitsett , Michael F. Wilson and William R. Lovallo
Originally published1 Jul 2000 doi.org/10.1161/01.HYP.36.1.137Hypertension. 2000;36:137–141
Related topics
caffeine, diet, exercise, heart, heart rate
Further information
- Caffeine uses and safety info
- Caffeine prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Caffeine (detailed)
Similar questions
Search for questions
Still looking for answers? Try searching for what you seek or ask your own question.