Acute Effects of Coffee Consumption on Blood Pressure and Endothelial Function in Individuals with Hypertension on Antihypertensive Drug Treatment: A Randomized Crossover Trial.

Introduction: Coffee is a complex brew that contains several bioactive compounds and some of them can influence blood pressure (BP) and endothelial function (EF), such as caffeine and chlorogenic acids (CGAs).

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the acute effects of coffee on BP and EF in individuals with hypertension on drug treatment who were habitual coffee consumers.

Methods: This randomized crossover trial assigned 16 adults with hypertension to receive three test beverages one week apart: caffeinated coffee (CC; 135 mg caffeine, 61 mg CGAs), decaffeinated coffee (DC; 5 mg caffeine, 68 mg CGAs), and water. BP was continuously evaluated from 15 min before to 90 min after test beverages by digital photoplethysmography. Reactive hyperemia index (RHI) assessed by peripheral arterial tonometry evaluated EF before and at 90 min after test beverages. At the same time points, microvascular reactivity was assessed by laser speckle contrast imaging. Repeated-measures-ANOVA evaluated the effect of time, the effect of beverage, and the interaction between time and beverage (treatment effect).

Results: Although the intake of CC produced a significant increase in BP and a significant decrease in RHI, these changes were also observed after the intake of DC and were not significantly different from the modifications observed after the consumption of DC and water. Microvascular reactivity did not present significant changes after the 3 beverages.

Conclusion: CC in comparison with DC and water neither promoted an acute increase in BP nor produced an improvement or deleterious effect on EF in individuals with hypertension on drug treatment who were coffee consumers.