An analysis of seven international research papers was published in the American Heart Association journal, Hypertension. The study suggested that even in persons without hypertension, blood pressure measurements may increase more sharply over time as the number of daily alcoholic drinks increases.
One Alcoholic Drink Per Day Can Raise Blood Pressure
This analysis confirms for the first time a consistent rise in blood pressure measurements in both people with modest and high alcohol intake using the statistical power of seven international research groups. Alcohol consumption, even at low doses, was linked to measurable blood pressure elevations that may raise the risk of cardiovascular events.
The senior study author, Marco Vinceti, stated that comparing those who consumed minimal amounts of alcohol to those who did not, they observed no positive impacts. They were astonished to learn that drinking alcohol even at a modest level was associated with longer-term blood pressure changes compared to abstaining. However, this was far less pronounced than the rise in blood pressure reported in heavy drinkers.
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As per the study’s co-author, Tommaso Filippini, their study was focused on grammes of alcohol ingested rather than merely the number of drinks. This happened to prevent bias that could result from the varying amounts of alcohol contained in “standard drinks” among nations and/or types of beverages.
Findings Of The Research
For more than five years, researchers examined the health information of each participant in each of the seven investigations. Here’s what they found:
- In those who drank an average of 12 grams of alcohol per day, systolic blood pressure increased by 1.25 millimetres of mercury (mm Hg). And it increased by 4.9 mm Hg in people who drank an average of 48 grams of alcohol per day.
- In those who consumed an average of 12 grams of alcohol per day, diastolic blood pressure increased by 1.14 mm Hg. In fact, it increased by 3.1 mm Hg in people who consumed an average of 48 grams of alcohol per day. Males showed these connections, whereas females did not.
- In contrast to systolic blood pressure, which measures the force exerted against artery walls between heartbeats, diastolic blood pressure measures the risk of developing heart disease.
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Even though none of the study subjects had excessive blood pressure before enrollment, blood pressure readings at the start did affect the alcohol findings.
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