by Linda Searing
Special to The Washington Post
- THE QUESTION: With coffeehouses and soda machines aplenty, consumption of these drinks is widespread in the United States. So, too, is the number of people with high blood pressure. Might the two be connected?
- THIS STUDY reviewed information on the caffeinated beverage consumption of 155,594 women with normal blood pressure readings. During a 12-year period, 21 percent of them were diagnosed with hypertension. Coffee drinkers were no more likely to have developed high blood pressure than were women who drank no coffee; in some instances, those who drank several cups a day were slightly less likely. However, those who drank caffeinated sodas (regular or diet) were more likely to have hypertension, with the risk growing as consumption increased: from about 15 percent added risk for one soda a day to more than 60 percent for those who drank four of more daily.
- WHO MAY BE AFFECTED BY THESE FINDINGS? Women, especially those who drink sodas frequently.
- CAVEATS Most of the women in the study were white; whether the findings apply to other races, or to men, is unclear. Further study would be needed to determine whether some compound other than caffeine that is present in sodas is responsible for the increased risk of hypertension.
- FIND THIS STUDY: Nov 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association; abstract available online at www.jama.com.
- LEARN MORE ABOUT high blood pressure at www.americanheart.org and www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health.
The research described in Quick Study comes from credible, peer-reviewed journals. None the less, conclusive evidence about a treatment's effectiveness is rarely found in a single study. Anyone considering changing or beginning treatment of any kind should consult with a physician.
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