If you love coffee but have very high blood pressure, a new study suggests you may want to cut back.
Researchers found that drinking two or more cups of coffee each day could double the risk of dying from heart disease in people with severe high blood pressure (160/100 mm Hg or higher).
On the other hand, green tea didn’t show the same risk—even though it also contains caffeine. That means what you drink could make a big difference when it comes to protecting your heart.
This might sound surprising because coffee has been shown in other studies to help heart attack survivors and may even reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in healthy people. Coffee is also known to help with alertness, appetite control, and may lower the risk of depression.
But too much of it can cause problems, especially for people with very high blood pressure. It can raise your blood pressure even more, make you feel anxious, give you heart palpitations, and mess with your sleep.
The study looked at more than 6,500 men and 12,000 women between the ages of 40 and 79. Those with severe high blood pressure who drank two or more cups of coffee daily had double the risk of dying from heart disease compared to those who didn’t drink coffee at all.
So why is green tea different? Green tea contains polyphenols—natural plant compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that may help protect the heart.
If you have high blood pressure, it’s important to take steps to care for your heart. Here are some good habits to follow:
– Check your blood pressure regularly.
– Take any medicine your doctor gives you—don’t skip doses.
– Eat healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. Try to avoid too much salt, sugar, or bad fats.
– Get moving! Aim for at least 150 minutes of exercise each week.
– Try to manage stress with breathing exercises, meditation, or yoga.
– Don’t smoke, and if you do, make a plan to quit.
– Keep alcohol to a minimum—one drink a day for women, two for men.
Everyone’s health needs are different, so be sure to talk with your doctor about the best plan for you.
The next time you’re thinking about that second cup of coffee, ask yourself: is it the best choice for your heart?
If you care about heart health, please read studies about a new cause of heart rhythm disorders and eating just one cup of nitrate-rich vegetables daily can reduce heart disease risk.
For more about heart health, please read studies about blood thinners that may not prevent stroke in people with heartbeat problems and this diabetes drug may protect heart health in older veterans.
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