High daily caffeine intake linked to prolonged elevation in BP, heart rate after exercise
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Key takeaways:
- More than 600 mg caffeine daily may prolong BP and heart rate elevations after physical activity.
- Women, business/management employees and urban residents were most likely to have high caffeine intake.
Caffeine intake equivalent to about six cups of coffee per day was associated with prolonged increases in blood pressure and heart rate up to 5 minutes after physical activity, researchers reported.
A study in which researchers evaluated the impact of daily caffeine intake on autonomic nervous system function was presented at the American College of Cardiology Asia Conference.
“Regular caffeine consumption could disturb the parasympathetic system, leading to elevated blood pressure and heart rates,” Nency Kagathara, MBBS, of the department of internal medicine at Zydus Medical College and Hospital in Dahod, India, said in a press release. “Our study sought to determine the effects of chronic caffeine consumption on heart health, specifically the recovery of heart rate and blood pressure.”
According to a Mayo Clinic report, a single 8 oz cup of brewed coffee contains approximately 96 mg caffeine, and consumption of up to 400 mg caffeine per day is generally considered safe.
To better understand the impact of caffeine on the autonomic nervous system, the researchers studied heart rate and BP recovery after physical activity among 92 patients with normal BP at baseline aged 18 to 45 years.
Participants underwent a 3-minute step test, and subsequently had their BP and heart rate measured at 1 and 5 minutes at rest after the test. In addition, sociodemographic data and daily caffeine intake were also gathered.
The cohort was composed of 62% men and 60% of participants were aged 31 to 45 years. In addition, nearly 80% lived in urban areas.
Approximately one-fifth of the cohort was identified as consuming more than 400 mg caffeine per day, most of which was women (P < .05), adults employed in business and management roles (P < .01) and those living in urban areas (P < .05).
The researchers reported that individuals who consumed more than 600 mg caffeine per day showed elevated heart rate — more than 100 bpm (P < .01) — and BP more than 140/90 mm Hg (P < .05) after 5 minutes of rest following the 3-minute step test.
“Due to its effect on the autonomic nervous system, regular caffeine consumption could put otherwise healthy individuals at risk of hypertension and other cardiovascular events,” Kagathara said in the release. “Increasing awareness of these risks is vital to improve heart health for all.”
References:
- Mayo Clinic. Caffeine content for coffee, tea, soda and more. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20049372. Published April 26, 2022. Accessed Aug. 14, 2024.
- New study finds chronic high caffeine consumption may heighten risk for cardiovascular disease. https://www.acc.org/About-ACC/Press-Releases/2024/08/15/14/46/New-Study-Finds-Chronic-High-Caffeine-Consumption-May-Heighten-Risk-for-Cardiovascular-Disease. Published Aug. 15, 2024. Accessed Aug. 15, 2024.
Collapse
Kagathara N. Prevention and Health Promotion. Presented at: American College of Cardiology Asia Conference; Aug. 16-18, 2024; Delhi, India.
Read more about
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts