PROLONGED INCREASE IN BLOOD-PRESSURE BY A SINGLE ORAL DOSE OF CAFFEINE IN MILDLY HYPERTENSIVE MEN

Caffeine is known to raise blood pressure (BP). We examined a single o ral dose of caffeine (3.3 mg/kg, equivalent to 2 to 3 cups of coffee) on BP in 18 hypertensive (HTN) and 12 age-matched, normotensive (NT) m en for 3 h. Systolic BPs were significantly higher after caffeine for -both groups (P < .001) for the entire 3 h. The HTN group showed persi stent elevation in diastolic BP for 3 h, whereas the increment of dias tolic BP became smaller in the NT group 90 min after caffeine ingestio n. Our results suggest that caffeine consumption may affect both diagn osis and treatment of hypertension and abstinence from caffeine may be beneficial, especially for hypertensive individuals.