Effect of coffee consumption on the risk of developing arterial hypertension in the general population: a review of systematic reviews of the literature

Abstract

Introduction: Coffee is habitually consumed, and its long-term hypertensive effect is uncertain. Objective: To evaluate the effect of regular coffee consumption on the incidence of arterial hypertension. Methods: A review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses was conducted in Medline, Embase, Cochrane, and Lilacs between January 1966 and September 2019. The search, selection, and extraction were paired, and the quality of the manuscripts was assessed with AMSTAR. Results: Analyzing the dose-response effect, for each daily cup of coffee consumed, the risk of developing hypertension is reduced by 2% (RR = 0.98; 95% CI: 0.98-0.99) up to a maximum of 8 cups. This protective effect is also observed with daily doses of coffee between 2 and 8 cups compared with no consumption (RR = 0.97; 95% CI: 0.95-0.99 and RR = 0,90; IC 95%: 0.83-0.97, respectively). The analysis by categories (low, moderate, and high consumption vs. abstinence), only produces a protective effect with high consumption (an average of 6.2 cups per day, RR = 0.95; CI 95%: 0.91-0.99). Conclusion: Moderate and high consumption of coffee does not increase the risk of hypertension in the general population and, on the contrary, it could be protective.