Coffee, blood pressure and hypertension

Despite the great number of studies about the effects of coffee on blood pressure and possible implications for the prevention and treatment of hypertension, this topic is still debated. Coffee beans contain caffeine, which has a recognized pharmacological action, but it is questioned whether the amount of caffeine assumed by habitual coffee drinkers can be responsible of some cardiovascular effects and to what extent these effects, if present, can actually cause or worsen hypertension. However, coffee also contains other putative pharmacological substances. Because there are evidences about the effects of coffee on cardiovascular functions, and because in some but not in all studies an increased risk for hypertension and other cardiovascular accidents has been demonstrated in coffee drinkers, it can expected that there is a large inter-individual variability in the effects of coffee consumption; thus, it would be of interest to establish a method to recognize those subjects for whom coffee consumption can be a risk factor for hypertension and associated cardiovascular accidents. © 2012 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved