Interactions between dietary calcium and caffeine consumption on calcium metabolism in hypertensive humans

Abnormal calcium metabolism has been implicated in human hypertension. Caffeine consumption may contribute to hypertension since it increases urinary calcium excretion. Nineteen hypertensive subjects (HTN) and nineteen age and gender matched normotensive controls (NTC) who habitually consumed at least 175 mg caffeine daily were studied before and after abstinence from all caffeine (CAF) consumption for 2 weeks. Caffeine abstinence (CAF-) increased fasting serum ultrafiltrable calcium in HTN and NTC, but not serum total calcium. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels decreased after CAF abstinence in 14 of 18 HTN subjects, including all seven subjects consuming less than 700 mg calcium daily. Three day dietary calcium intakes and 72 h urinary excretion of calcium were not different between CAF+ and CAF- or between HTN and NTC. A morning caffeine dose of 6 mg/kg lean body mass increased urinary Ca/creatinine ratios similarly for 2 h after beverage consumption in both HTN and NTC. Caffeine consumption stresses calcium metabolism in hypertensive individuals, especially those consuming less than 700 mg calcium daily.