The effect of caffeine on daytime ambulatory blood pressure

Caffeine produces an acute increase in blood pressure in the research laboratory, but its effect on the ambulatory blood pressure during normal daily activities is unknown. In 25 normotensive, caffeine-naive subjects, daily administration of 400 mg caffeine produced a small increase (+3/+3 mm Hg, P less than .001) in ambulatory daytime blood pressure on the first day, with values returning to baseline by the third day. The initial rise in blood pressure was associated with a fall in heart rate (-3 beats/min, P less than .02). Readings taken the morning following the first day of caffeine ingestion did not show any persistent effect of caffeine on blood pressure. A 400 mg dose of caffeine causes a small increase in daytime ambulatory blood pressure, but tolerance develops with daily caffeine consumption. Infrequent ingestion of caffeine may cause a transient rise in blood pressure which is unlikely to be harmful to an individual but might influence the diagnosis of hypertension in a patient with a borderline elevated blood pressure.