Coffee, as a refreshing and delicious beverage, has become an essential part of most people’s daily routine. However, many people will experience increased heart rate, enhanced myocardial contraction, and increased blood pressure after drinking coffee. For patients with hypertension who already have elevated blood pressure, drinking coffee has no effect on them and will not cause more serious harm, is a matter of concern. Coffee: from relief to cure From the discovery of coffee, people are accustomed to use coffee to relieve fatigue. Studies have shown that coffee is rich in a variety of biologically active substances, with antidepressant, antioxidant, hypoglycemic lipid, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective and other biological functions. In 2014, an analysis of literature data published in Pub Med from 1966-2013 by Crippa et al. in Europe also showed that coffee consumption was negatively associated with all-cause mortality from cardiovascular disease. A Japanese study published in 2015 also pointed out that habitual coffee intake can reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Coffee: Is it one of the “culprits” threatening hypertension According to the studies so far, there is no conclusive evidence in the medical community on whether coffee intake is associated with the development of hypertension. So why is the “coffee threat theory” so widespread? Clinical investigations have found that caffeine intake, while not significantly affecting resting heart rate, can significantly increase blood pressure levels in patients with coronary heart disease and hypertension. American researchers found in experiments that caffeine intake within 24 h inhibits vasodilation. And caffeine has a significant excitatory effect on the central nervous system, which can accelerate the heart rate and pulse, causing insomnia and resulting in increased blood pressure. On the other hand, each person does not respond to caffeine in the same way, and habitual coffee drinkers, whose average blood pressure is usually higher than those who do not drink coffee at all, are more tolerant to caffeine. Caffeine does not have a dramatic effect on the blood pressure of the average person over a long period of time, but for people who are overweight or over 70 years old, they are more likely to experience a significant increase in blood pressure after consuming caffeine. Therefore, whether coffee drinking is a direct risk factor for hypertension varies from person to person, and for people with hypertension who do not usually drink coffee, drinking coffee may raise their blood pressure afterwards. Therefore, it is recommended that people with hypertension whose blood pressure is not well controlled or who do not have the habit of drinking coffee stay away from coffee or follow the principle of moderation at the right time and reduce the addition of high sugar and high fat condiments such as granulated sugar, fructose, fresh milk and whipped cream to avoid causing fluctuations in blood pressure. References [1] Li Hui, Meng Shuhong. Research progress on the relationship between caffeine and risk of cardiovascular system disease[J]. Chinese Journal of Cardiovascular,2017,22(03):223-226.