- With Mayo Clinic emeritus hypertension specialist
Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.
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Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.
Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.
Dr. Sheldon Sheps, emeritus professor of medicine and former chair of the Hypertension Division in the Department of Medicine at Mayo Clinic, has been with Mayo Clinic since 1960.
Dr. Sheps, a Winnipeg, Manitoba, native, is board certified in internal medicine and specializes in hypertension and peripheral vascular diseases. He developed a multidisciplinary approach with specially trained nurses, dietitians, technicians and educators to help form a team approach to the treatment of patients with abnormal blood pressure.
"I have always believed in involving the patient and family in their health care," he says. "I have asked for their understanding of the illness and issues and for participation in decisions. The Web is a natural extension of that, and now many more people can be informed."
Dr. Sheps chaired the sixth working group, and participated in the fourth, fifth and seventh groups, that developed the then-latest guidelines for hypertension under the auspices of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). He helped write the latest American Heart Association (AHA) report on blood pressure measurement. He chaired an AHA group that produced an online accreditation for blood pressure measurement for health professionals. He has co-authored books, newsletters, CD-ROMs and other Mayo Clinic health information material and joined Mayo Clinic's Web team in 1998. He was medical editor-in-chief of both editions of the "Mayo Clinic on High Blood Pressure" book; the last edition was published in 2003. He was also medical editor-in-chief of "Mayo Clinic 5 Steps to Controlling High Blood Pressure,'' published in 2008.
He was section editor for each of the first three editions of "Hypertension Primer" for the American Heart Association.
Dr. Sheps was also chairman of the Science Base Subcommittee, National High Blood Pressure Education Program, and was a consultant to the Hypertension Initiative of the World Health Organization. In 1997, he was honored with the Individual Achievement Award on the 25th anniversary of the National High Blood Pressure Education Program of NHLBI. In 2009, he was honored as a Distinguished Mayo Alumnus.
Definition (3)
- White-coat hypertension: When blood pressure rises at the doctor's office
- Isolated systolic hypertension: A health concern?
- Blood pressure: Is it affected by weather?
Risk factors (2)
- Menopause and high blood pressure: What's the connection?
- Alcohol: Does it affect blood pressure?
Symptoms (1)
- Pulse pressure: An indicator of heart health?
Causes (5)
- Caffeine: How does it affect blood pressure?
- Anxiety: A cause of high blood pressure?
- Blood pressure readings: Why higher at home?
- see all in Causes
Complications (1)
- Hypertensive crisis: What are the symptoms?
Treatments and drugs (5)
- Calcium supplements: Do they interfere with blood pressure drugs?
- Blood pressure medications: Can they raise my triglycerides?
- Diuretics: A cause of low potassium?
- see all in Treatments and drugs
Lifestyle and home remedies (9)
- Resperate: Can it help reduce blood pressure?
- Blood pressure medication: Still necessary if I lose weight?
- High blood pressure and cold remedies: Which are safe?
- see all in Lifestyle and home remedies
Alternative medicine (1)
- L-arginine: Does it lower blood pressure?
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Question
Caffeine: How does it affect blood pressure?
How does caffeine affect blood pressure?
Answer
from Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.
It's possible that caffeine can cause a short, but dramatic increase in your blood pressure, even if you don't have high blood pressure. The amount of caffeine in two to three cups of coffee can raise systolic pressure (the top number in your blood pressure reading) 3 to 14 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Your diastolic pressure (the bottom number) can be increased 4 to 13 mm Hg.
It's unclear what causes this spike in blood pressure. Caffeine could block a hormone that helps keep your arteries widened. Others think that caffeine causes your adrenal gland to release more adrenaline, which causes your blood pressure to increase.
Some people who regularly drink caffeine have a higher average blood pressure than do those who drink none. Others who regularly drink caffeinated beverages develop a tolerance to it. As a result, caffeine doesn't have a long-term effect on their blood pressure.
It's best for most people who already have high blood pressure to limit the amount of caffeine they drink, or stop drinking caffeinated beverages. If you're concerned about caffeine increasing your blood pressure, try limiting the amount of caffeine you drink to 200 milligrams a day — about the same amount as in two 12-ounce cups of brewed coffee. Keep in mind that the amount of caffeine in coffee and soft drinks varies by brand. Also, avoid caffeine right before activities that naturally increase your blood pressure, such as exercise, weightlifting or hard physical labor.
To see if caffeine might be raising your blood pressure, check your blood pressure within 30 minutes of drinking a cup of coffee or another caffeinated beverage you regularly consume. If your blood pressure increases by five to 10 points, you may be sensitive to the blood pressure raising effects of caffeine. If you plan to reduce your intake of caffeine, do so gradually over several days to a week to avoid withdrawal headaches.
Next questionAnxiety: A cause of high blood pressure?
- Winkelmayer WC, et al. Habitual caffeine intake and the risk of hypertension in women. JAMA. 2005;294:2330.
- Noordzij M, et al. Blood pressure response to chronic intake of coffee and caffeine: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Hypertension. 2005;23:921.
- Uiterwaal CS, et al. Coffee intake and incidence of hypertension. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2007;85:718.
- Myers MG. Effect of caffeine on blood pressure beyond the laboratory. Hypertension. 2004;43:724.
