Coffee consumption and blood pressure: an Italian study

The relation between habitual coffee consumption and blood pressure was studied in 500 Italian subjects, males and females, aged 18-62 years. After allowing for sex, age and weight, the pressure levels showed a significant decrease with increasing coffee consumption. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were respectively 130.4 +/- 1.8 (SE) mmHg and 81.5 +/- 1.1 mmHg for non-coffee drinkers, 129.4 +/- 1.4 and 82.2 +/- 0.9 mmHg for 1 cup per day, 128.4 +/- 0.8 and 81.4 +/- 0.5 mmHg for 2-3 cups per day, 124.9 +/- 1.1 and 78.8 +/- 0.7 mmHg for 4-6 cups per day, and 124.1 +/- 2.5 and 78.7 +/- 1.6 mmHg for more than 6 cups of coffee daily (analysis of covariance: SBP F = 3.46, 4 df, P less than 0.01; DBP F = 3.46, 4 df, P less than 0.01). Even after correcting pressure levels for habitual alcohol intake and cigarette smoking, we observed a mean reduction in SBP and DBP of 0.80 mmHg and 0.48 mmHg respectively per cup per day.