A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association describes that excessive coffee consumption may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease-related mortality in people with severe hypertension.
Study: Coffee and green tea consumption and mortality from cardiovascular disease in people with and without hypertension. Image Credit: Bohdan Malitskiy/Shutterstock
Background
Coffee consumption is known to reduce the risk of hypertension and associated mortality in the general population. However, it may cause a transient increase in blood pressure in people with hypertension.
Evidence shows that the beneficial effect of coffee consumption depends on individuals’ blood pressure levels. In patients with severe hypertension, coffee can cause an acute increase in blood pressure, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
On the other hand, the consumption of green tea is known to reduce blood pressure in patients with hypertension. Additionally, green tea reduces the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease-related mortality in the general population.
In the current study, scientists investigated the association between coffee or green tea consumption and cardiovascular disease-related mortality risk in Japanese men and women with varying degrees of hypertension.
study design
A total of 18,609 people, including 6,574 men and 12,035 women, from 24 communities across Japan participated in the study. Participants were asked to complete questionnaires to gather information on demographics, medical history, lifestyle and diet.
The participants’ baseline blood pressure was measured by trained personnel. Based on blood pressure levels, participants were categorized into five groups, including optimal and normal blood pressure, high normal blood pressure, grade 1 hypertension, grade 2 hypertension, and hypertension. grade 3.
Important observations
The study explored the relationship between the rate of coffee consumption and baseline characteristics of participants in each blood pressure category. A higher rate of coffee consumption was observed among younger participants, current smokers, current drinkers and fewer vegetable consumers. Additionally, participants with higher total cholesterol and lower systolic blood pressure were also likely to be more frequent coffee drinkers.
The study also explored the relationship between the rate of green tea consumption and baseline characteristics of participants in each blood pressure category. A higher rate of green tea consumption was observed among older participants, frequent fruit eaters, and employed participants.
An association between a higher rate of green tea consumption and lower total cholesterol levels was observed in participants with grade 2-3 hypertension.
Coffee consumption and risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease
A total of 842 cardiovascular disease-related deaths occurred during the 18.9-year follow-up period.
Drinking two or more cups of coffee daily was found to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease-related mortality in participants with grade 2-3 hypertension. In contrast, no such association was seen in participants with optimal and normal blood pressure, high normal blood pressure, or grade 1 hypertension.
Green tea consumption and risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease
Green tea consumption did not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease-related mortality in participants with grade 1 to 3 hypertension.
Among participants with high normal blood pressure or optimal/normal blood pressure, drinking 5–6 cups or 1–2 cups of green tea per day, respectively, slightly reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease-related mortality.
Green tea. Image credit: Den Edryshov / Shuuterstock
Significance of the study
The study finds that heavy coffee consumption may double the risk of cardiovascular disease-related mortality in people with severe hypertension, but not in people without hypertension or grade 1 hypertension.
The study found no negative impact of green tea consumption on the risk of cardiovascular disease-related mortality in people with mild or severe hypertension.
Certain components of caffeinated coffee, including chlorogenic acid, magnesium, and trigonellin, are known to have beneficial health effects, including lowering blood cholesterol levels, inflammation, and improving endothelial functions. . These positive effects negate the negative cardiovascular effects of caffeine in the general population.
Given the results of the current study, the scientists suggest that the greater susceptibility of people with severe hypertension to the adverse effects of caffeine may actually offset its health benefits and increase the risk of death.
Caffeinated green tea, on the other hand, contains a high level of polyphenols, including epigallocatechin-gallate. Polyphenols have several health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, lipid-lowering, and hypotensive properties. The positive health effects of green tea catechins are enough to negate the negative cardiovascular effects of caffeine.
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