Caffeine

Caffeine can cause a temporary spike in blood pressure in people who don't use it regularly.

Caffeine blocks a hormone that keeps your blood vessels open, allowing blood to easily pass through. This may temporarily increase blood pressure. However, there isn't enough evidence to prove that caffeine raises your blood pressure long term.

Examples of caffeine-containing medications and products include:

• Caffeine pills (Vivarin, others)
• Coffee
• Energy drinks and other beverages

The caffeine content of coffee can vary widely, so it's difficult to say how many cups of coffee you can drink a day.

To see if caffeine raises your blood pressure, check your blood pressure about 30 minutes after drinking a cup of coffee or another caffeinated beverage. If your blood pressure goes up by five to 10 points, you may be sensitive to the blood pressure-raising effects of caffeine.