Love Coffee or Hate it? Your Blood Pressure, Heart Rate Can Drive Your Desire for Caffeine, Finds Study

Black, no sugar, strong, with a splash of milk… When it comes to coffee, we all have our specific preferences. Using data from the UK Biobank, the researchers examined the usual coffee consumption of 390,435 people, then compared it with baseline blood pressure levels, as well as heart rate. The study authors found that people with high blood pressure, angina or arrhythmia were more likely to consume decaffeinated coffee or skip it altogether, compared to people without these symptoms. For Elina Hyppönen, the study’s lead researcher and director of UniSA’s Australian Centre for Precision Health, this is a positive finding in that it shows that our genetics actively regulate the amount of coffee we drink and protect us from excessive consumption. “People subconsciously self-regulate safe levels of caffeine based on how high their blood pressure is, and this is likely a result of a protective genetic mechanism.