Alcohol consumption is categorized into different levels based on the amount consumed. Here is how drinking levels are defined according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. ST extracted data, checked data entry, conducted data analysis, interpreted study results, and drafted the final review.
In fact, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) writes that an estimated 5.5% of new cancer diagnoses and 5.8% of cancer deaths worldwide are linked to drinking alcohol. Swapping some of your usual alcoholic drinks for a tasty non-alcoholic option is an easy way to cut back. Or making a permanent switch to lower alcohol alternatives can be a sustainable approach to cutting down in the longer term, if you’re not ready https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/how-does-alcohol-affect-your-blood-pressure/ to give up alcohol. People over 40 years old or those with a higher risk of hypertension should have a doctor check their blood pressure at least once a year. A research review from 2022 analyzed studies that gave participants with hypertension 70–250 milliliters (mL) of beetroot juice per day for 3–60 days. Medications such as statins that act directly on the liver can cause further damage when combined with alcohol.
Safe Alcohol Consumption
It’s important to have regular physical exams, since hypertension is painless and many people don’t even know they have it. Talk to your healthcare provider to discuss your risk factors and if it is safe for you to drink alcohol, even in moderation. Conversely, moderate drinking has been repeatedly demonstrated to have potential benefits for patients with diabetes and abnormal lipoprotein profiles. At the same time, some studies suggest that stopping or reducing alcohol intake produces better outcomes for those with high blood pressure or CVD. Alcohol withdrawal reverses the adverse impact of alcohol on endothelial function, with rapid normalization of the BP. A 2023 report found that drinking too much alcohol regularly, exceeding 30 grams per day, can significantly increase the risk of developing high blood pressure.
Also, multiple studies have found associations between consumption of alcoholic beverages and specific cancers (Kushi 2012; Seitz 2007). Abuse of alcohol resulted in approximately 3 million deaths worldwide and 132.6 million disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2016 (WHO 2018). Researchers were unable to study in-depth the relationship between age, https://ecosoberhouse.com/ blood pressure, and alcohol intake. There were risks for misclassifications, and it is possible that some participants changed alcohol consumption amounts during the follow-up time. The study also didn’t look at how different types of alcohol influenced blood pressure. Some data relied on self-reporting; further data could include more diverse samples.
What to know about alcohol and blood pressure
Methodological differences between studies might have affected measurement of the reported outcomes. Recent research suggests that automated ambulatory blood pressure monitors are more reliable than manual sphygmomanometers, particularly because automated monitors reduce white coat anxiety (Mirdamadi 2017). Of the 32 included studies, seven studies used a manual mercury sphygmomanometer or a semi‐automated sphygmomanometer for BP measurement (Bau 2005; Dai 2002; Karatzi 2005; Kojima 1993; Potter 1986; Rossinen 1997; Van De Borne 1997). Mixing of various measurement techniques (manual, semi‐automated, and fully automated) in the meta‐analysis might have led to some of the heterogeneity. We also did not rate the certainty of evidence based on the funding sources of studies or on lack of a registered protocol because we did not think this would affect the effect estimates for these outcomes. However, we noted the lack of description of randomisation and allocation concealment methods in most of the included studies as a reason for downgrading because of the possibility of selection bias.
- The AHA states even people who drink one alcoholic beverage per day showed a link to higher blood pressure compared to non-drinkers.
- The findings of this review support the current recommendations to avoid alcohol.
- Choose alcohol that is low in calories and total carbohydrates and pair your alcohol with a balanced meal for best blood sugars later.
- Much of the current literature on alcohol does not mention the hypotensive effect of alcohol or the magnitude of change in BP or HR after alcohol consumption.
- This increases the sensitivity of the blood vessels to compounds that constrict them.
- Study authors mentioned that acute ethanol administration caused transitory increase in BP at 20 minutes.