Although drinking caffeine-containing beverages such as coffee can provoke an immediate increase in blood pressure, a new study has found that regular coffee drinking over decades doesn't increase hypertension.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine followed more than 1,000 white males for more than 30 years. Their BP was assessed an average of 11 times during that period. Drinking an average of two cups of coffee a day was associated with a slight increase in the incidence of hypertension, compared to those who were not coffee drinkers. However, when the data was adjusted for other factors such as family history of hypertension, smoking, alcohol use and physical activity, the differences were not statistically significant.

The authors concluded that coffee drinking is associated with small increases in blood pressure but appears to play a small role in the development of hypertension.

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