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Women’s High Blood
Pressure Linked to Cola, but Not Coffee
By Jennifer Wider, M.D.
Good news for women hooked on coffee: one or more daily cups
of Joe will not increase your chances of getting high blood
pressure, also known as hypertension, according to a new
study examining the effects of caffeine. The study, which
was published in the Nov. 9 issue of the Journal of the
American Medical Association, did however reveal a possible
link between high blood pressure and cola consumption – for
both diet and non-diet varieties.
“The results were intriguing because two caffeinated
beverages behaved differently,” said lead author Wolfgang
Winkelmayer, M.D., Sc.D, from Brigham and Women's Hospital
in Boston, Mass. The findings come from data recorded in the
Nurses’ Health Study in which more than 150,000 women were
followed for 12 years. All women who participated did not
have medically-diagnosed high blood pressure at the start of
the study.
It has long been established that caffeine increases blood
pressure in the short-term, but the link between routine
caffeine consumption and chronic high blood pressure was
unclear. “Caffeine immediately enhances the activity of the
autonomic nervous system,” which helps regulate blood
pressure, Winkelmayer explained. But the role caffeine plays
on the body over a longer period of time needs further
study.
High blood pressure should not be taken lightly, especially
by women. According to the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, more than half of all American women over
the age of 55 suffer from hypertension. Alarmingly, high
blood pressure puts people at risk for all sorts of problems
including heart attacks, strokes, kidney damage and impaired
vision. In fact, high blood pressure has been associated
with three out of every five cases of heart failure in
women.
Before you toss all your soda and buy stock in Starbucks,
the authors of the study warn that more research is needed
to further understand the link between cola and high blood
pressure.
In fact, Winkelmayer contends that caffeine may not be the
culprit. “There may be something other than caffeine in cola
beverages that we still need to identify,” he says.
Alternatively, if caffeine intake is to blame for chronic
high blood pressure, there may be something in coffee that
reverses the effect. According to the study’s results,
“women who drank the most coffee had the lowest risk of
developing newly diagnosed high blood pressure,” cites
Winkelmayer. “Both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee is
rich in anti-oxidants that may counterbalance the risk of
high blood pressure and offer protection.”
More studies are needed to further evaluate the role coffee
and cola play in hypertension. Currently, there are other
studies examining caffeine intake in both women and men.
African American women are more likely than women of other
races to suffer from hypertension, which increases their
risk for developing heart disease and stroke. They should
pay close attention to issues surrounding hypertension,
because the death rate for heart disease and stroke is
higher for African American women than for white women.
Luckily, there’s a lot you can do to prevent your chances of
developing heart disease, which can lead to heart attacks or
strokes:
• Be aware of your blood pressure and cholesterol
level. Taking steps to lower them now can make all the
difference for your future health.
• Tobacco use can increase your chances for all sorts of
heart problems. If you smoke, you should stop.
• Regular and moderate exercise can keep your heart
healthy and help lower your risk of heart disease and
stroke.
Talk to your family about their history of
cardiovascular disease. You should also speak with your
health care provider about ways to lower your risk of
hypertension and heart diseases.
Sources
Winkelmayer W, Stampfer M, et al. Habitual Caffeine Intake
and the Risk of Hypertension in Women. JAMA.
2005;294:2330-2335.
© December 2, 2005 Society for Women's Health Research
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