Can Coffee Complicate Hypertension?

Whether it is Starbucks, Au Bon Pain, or Seattle’s Best, Americans have a love affair with coffee. It is estimated that 161 million people start there day with coffee and for some of them it does not end with one cup. For some the “Java Jolt” is an all day affair.

At times the research on coffee can be confusing. Some researchers stating it is not bad for overall cardiac health, others waving a red flag warning of the impending dangers that will soon follow. But there is new compelling evidence coming out of Western University and Lawson Health Research Institute in London, Ontario, Canada.

According to the researchers calcium channel blockers where not only stopped from lowering blood pressure but with the consuming of coffee helped increase the individuals blood pressure. One cup of coffee will raise the blood pressure to its highest peak after one hour and will keep the blood pressure raised for several hours. So that an individual who drinks more than one cup of coffee a day will spend over half of their waking day with elevated blood pressure.

According to Dr. Bailey, ” “Even one cup of coffee containing a relatively low amount of caffeine remarkably compromised the anti-hypertensive effect of this drug at the maximum recommended dose. If you wanted to overcome the effect of the coffee, you had to double the dose of this anti-hypertensive drug which could increase the risk of unwanted excessive drug effects, particularly during the period when coffee is not consumed.”