Study: Coffee Not So Bad For Women

Coffee Might Even Help Lower Blood Pressure; Cola Might Not

(AP)  Here's good news for women who love coffee: Drinking it doesn't seem to cause long-term high blood pressure, a study suggests.

But for some reason, women in the same study who drank colas did seem to have a greater risk of high blood pressure. Researchers were surprised at that and cautioned that the study wasn't conclusive.

Caffeine is a well-known ingredient in both beverages, and has been shown to cause short-term increases in blood pressure.

But coffee drinkers in the study were no more likely than abstainers to develop high blood pressure during 12 years of follow-up.

Previous data on coffee and hypertension is mixed, but there's a common perception that its temporary effects on blood pressure mean an increased long-term risk, said Dr. Wolfgang Winkelmayer, the study's lead author and a researcher at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital.

"We found strong evidence to refute" that belief, the researchers wrote.

There was even some evidence that women who drank lots of coffee — four or more daily cups of regular or decaf — faced a slightly lower risk for developing high blood pressure than those who drank little or none.

Winkelmayer said that might be because coffee has lots of antioxidants, substances that are thought to help protect the heart and reduce risks of cancer.

He called the results for cola drinkers surprising and potentially worrisome, but also far from definitive because it's unclear how sodas might increase blood pressure.

The government-funded study appears in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.

Several recent studies have shown possible health benefits from coffee, including a report calling it a major food source for antioxidants; results linking heavy coffee consumption in men with a reduced risk of diabetes.

Also, Japanese research suggesting that coffee might help prevent liver cancer.