On average, every person in Germany drinks 450 cups of coffee a year. A recent study from Japan now warns people with high blood pressure against drinking too much coffee. Above a certain amount, the caffeinated drink can double the risk of cardiac death.
A coffee in the morning is part of the daily routine for many people. There is a lively discussion about whether and to what extent coffee promotes health or even harms it. The study situation on the subject is dense and indicates both health-promoting and harmful effects, with the former predominating. It is now assumed that moderate coffee consumption can generally have a positive effect on well-being.
A new Japanese study now shows that this does not apply to everyone. The researchers explicitly warn against excessive coffee intake in people with high blood pressure. As the scientists write, the caffeinated drink can double the risk of cardiac death from a certain amount. However, high blood pressure patients should not completely omit coffee – up to a certain dose, it can also have a positive effect on heart health.
As part of their research, the scientists examined a group of more than 6,570 men and more than 12,000 women between the ages of 40 and 79 over a period of almost 19 years. During the follow-up period, 842 cardiovascular deaths related to cardiovascular disease and hypertension, respectively, were recorded.
The findings of the study are amazing:
The scientists also compared the effect of coffee consumption with the consumption of green tea, with the latter having no negative effects on the mortality of the test subjects. “To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to find an association between drinking two or more cups of coffee per day and mortality from cardiovascular disease in people with severe hypertension,” study leader Hiroyasu Iso writes in the research report.
“Our results show that people with high blood pressure should avoid drinking excessive amounts of coffee,” Iso concludes. The expert recommends that people with high blood pressure stick to a cup of coffee or switch to green tea altogether.
For everyone else, three to four cups of coffee a day are definitely possible – and even recommended. It not only makes you cheerful and in a good mood, but also reduces the risk of
High blood pressure is a widespread disease that affects up to 30 million people in Germany. If left untreated, high blood pressure can increase the risk of death.
High blood pressure is indicated by various symptoms:
Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). The systolic blood pressure measures the pressure during the heartbeat – i.e. when the heart muscle contracts and pumps blood into the vessels. The diastolic blood pressure measures the pressure on the vessels when the heart muscle relaxes – it is lower than the systological blood pressure.
In older people, a maximum value of 130 and 140 mmHg should be aimed for. Here, however, the ideal differs depending on the physical condition. According to the state of health: the lower, the better.
In addition to drug treatment with ACE inhibitors, sartans, calcium antagonists, beta blockers or diuretics, each individual can do something to lower their own blood pressure. Useful measures are:
