Seoul, Dec 9 (IANS): Think again before you pick up that can from the department store for your favourite food or drink for it may lead to rise in your blood pressure, warn researchers.

Cans or bottles are generally lined with a chemical called Bisphenol A (BPA), the consumption of which has been associated with high blood pressure and variable heart rate.

Previous studies have shown that BPA can leach into foods and drinks.

"I suggest consumers try to eat fresh foods or glass bottle-contained foods rather than canned foods and hopefully, manufacturers will develop and use healthy alternatives to BPA for the inner lining of can containers," said study author Yun-Chul Hong from Seoul National University College of Medicine in South Korea.

In this study, researchers conducted a trial on 60 adults, mostly Korean women, over the age of 60 from a local community centre.

Each trial member visited the study site three times and was randomly provided with soy milk in either glass bottles or cans.

Later urine was collected and tested for BPA concentration, blood pressure and heart rate variability two hours after consumption of each beverage.

Urinary BPA concentration increased by up to 1,600 percent after consuming canned beverages compared to after consuming the glass-bottled beverages.

"A 5 mm Hg (millimetre of mercury) increase in systolic blood pressure by drinking two canned beverages may cause clinically significant problems, particularly in patients with heart disease or hypertension," Hong said.

"A 20 mm Hg increase in systolic blood pressure doubles the risk of cardiovascular disease," he added.

The study appeared in the journal Hypertension.