People with high blood pressure should avoid drinking caffeinated beverages during high stress situations at work, according to a new study in the American Journal of Hypertension. Researchers who studied students during low- and high-stress periods found:

• Increased occupational stress produces elevated blood pressure.
• Stress and caffeine have additive effects on blood pressure in a work setting.
• These additive effects may produce undesirably high blood pressure in persons at high risk for hypertension.

They also found that the students who were at high risk for high blood pressure, based on their history and initial blood pressure measurement, did indeed have higher blood pressure and heart rate, especially during stressful periods. Their blood pressure measurements were significantly higher after they drank caffeinated beverages than when they drank beverages without caffeine.

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