Alcohol and High Blood Pressure: Effects and More, Explained

When blood pressure, the force of blood flowing through your arteries, is consistently high, that ups your risk for heart attack, stroke and heart failure, as well as vision loss and kidney disease. Now experts have reason to believe even moderate drinking carries risks. Another study, this time in the Journal of the American Heart Association, indicates that binge drinking increases blood pressure levels in men but not women. Despite this finding, women should try not to engage in binge drinking. Other research from 2019 found that there was a significant link between moderate alcohol consumption and a risk of hypertension.

The Benefits of Moderate Whiskey Consumption

Karatzi 2005, Mahmud 2002, Maule 1993, and Potter 1986 did not mention the method of blinding of outcome assessors. Even though Dumont 2010 mentioned blinding of outcome assessors, it is not clear whether blinding of outcome assessment was maintained in the case of blood pressure and heart rate measurements. Two review authors (ST and CT) performed data extraction independently using a standard data collection form, followed by a cross‐check. In cases of disagreement, the third review authors (JMW) became involved to resolve the disagreement. When necessary, we contacted the authors of studies for information about unclear study design. All extracted data were entered and double‐checked in RevMan 5.3 software (Review Manager (RevMan)).

Summary of findings 3. Effect of low‐dose alcohol compared to placebo.

In the short term, a small amount of alcohol may not affect your blood pressure, but a large amount can raise it. The answer to this important question has varied over time, but current US guidelines recommend that men who drink should limit intake to two drinks/day or less and women who drink should have no more than one drink/day. The definitions for a drink in the US are the common serving sizes for beer (12 ounces), wine (5 ounces), or distilled spirits/hard liquor (1.5 ounces). The same amount of alcohol for someone with high blood pressure varies based on factors like individual health status, age, weight, fitness level, and more, according to Louis Morledge, MD, a board-certified internist at Northwell Health. Ramnauth said alcohol can also impair or diminish “baroreceptors in the brain that would sense blood pressure.” These baroreceptors regulate blood pressure by detecting changes and signaling the body to adjust.

The magnitude and direction of the effects of alcohol on blood pressure depend on the time after alcohol consumption. Moderate‐certainty evidence shows that acute consumption of medium to high doses of alcohol decreases blood pressure within the first six hours and for up to 12 hours after alcohol consumption. For times greater than 13 hours, high doses of alcohol consumption increased blood pressure. Low, moderate, and high alcohol consumption increased heart rate within the first six hours. High alcohol consumption also increased heart rate from 7 to 12 hours and after 13 hours. Most of the evidence from this review is relevant to healthy males, as these trials included small numbers of women (126 females compared to 638 males).

Effects of low‐dose alcohol consumption

We are moderately certain that medium‐dose alcohol decreased blood pressure and increased heart rate within six hours of consumption. We did not see any significant change in blood pressure or heart rate after that, but the evidence was limited. We created a funnel plot using the mean difference (MD) from studies reporting effects of medium doses and high doses of alcohol on SBP, DBP, MAP, and HR against standard error (SE) of the MD to check for the existence of publication bias. Visual inspection of funnel plots shows that the effect estimate is equally distributed around the mean in Figure 4, Figure 5, Figure 6.

We also contacted Hering 2011, but the study author did not explicitly mention in the email the method of allocation concealment used. We used GRADEpro software to construct a ‘Summary of findings’ table to compare outcomes including change in SBP and DBP and HR (GRADEpro 2014). In addition, we included illustrative risks to present findings for the most important outcome (change in systolic blood pressure).

How Much Whiskey A Day Is Healthy?

• For women, the number of drinks necessary to produce this effect may be lower.
• Kimberly Goad is a New York-based journalist who has covered health for some of the nation’s top consumer publications.
• Therefore, we were unable to perform a subgroup analysis based on the sex of participants.
• Drinking too much alcohol can raise pressure on the walls of blood vessels to unhealthy levels.

The blood alcohol level decreased over time, and 20‐HETE started https://yourhealthmagazine.net/article/addiction/sober-houses-rules-that-you-should-follow/ to rise (Barden 2013). The hypertensive effect of alcohol after 13 hours of consumption could be the result of the rise in vasoconstrictors and the homeostatic response to restore blood pressure. Plasma renin activity was reported to be increased in Kawano 2000 as a late effect of alcohol consumption. Both reviewers (ST and CT) rated the certainty of evidence independently by examining risk of bias, indirectness, inconsistency, imprecision, and publication bias. Both review authors (ST and CT) rated the certainty of evidence independently by examining risk of bias, indirectness, inconsistency, imprecision, and publication bias.

To determine short‐term dose‐related effects of alcohol versus placebo on heart rate in healthy and hypertensive adults over 18 years of age. Thus alcohol decreases blood pressure initially (up to 12 hours after ingestion) and increases blood pressure after that. Alcohol consistently increases heart rate at all times within 24 hours of consumption. One study found that people who consumed one to six drinks weekly had a lower risk of dementia than non-drinkers. Another showed that moderate alcohol intake might reduce cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer’s Disease. Drinking too much alcohol can raise pressure on the walls of blood vessels to unhealthy levels.

A 2019 study suggests that drinking hibiscus tea twice per day alongside lifestyle and dietary strategies may help reduce blood pressure in people with stage 1 hypertension. Drinks high in added sugars, such as sugary sodas and energy drinks, can contribute to weight gain and potentially affect blood pressure. Additionally, excessive consumption of alcohol, particularly heavy and regular drinking, can be detrimental to blood pressure. Although daily moderate drinking has potential benefits, it can also build up your immunity to alcohol over time, leading to overconsumption. Some people may be able to continue to drink alcohol in low amounts if they have high blood pressure.

• That’s partly why people who drink may find that although they’re consuming the same amount they always have, they feel the effects more quickly or strongly — that’s especially true for older women, according to the National Institute on Aging.
• High amounts of alcohol can weaken your immune system, reducing your body’s ability to fight off infection and raising your risk of chronic diseases.
• The best way of knowing if there’s a problem is to have your blood pressure measured.
• Of course, no one needs to wait for new guidelines or warning labels to curb their drinking.
• It can increase the side effects of the medication and cause other complications.
• Because the participant population comprised predominantly young and healthy normotensive men, the overall evidence generated in this review cannot be extrapolated to women and older populations with other comorbidities.

Take it Slow and Enjoy the Relaxation Benefits

A 2021 review found that in women, drinking even a moderate amount of alcohol can increase the risk of hypertension. Doctors consider Sober House Rules: What You Should Know Before Moving In your blood pressure to be at a healthy level if your systolic blood pressure is less than 120 and your diastolic blood pressure is less than 80. More research is needed on the specific effects of short-term alcohol use on blood pressure in women and people with other health conditions.

According to a recent analysis by the American Heart Association (AHA), the more alcoholic drinks you have each day, the higher your systolic blood pressure tends to be. Scientists are unsure why, but several studies link moderate alcohol consumption to improved immunity of diseases and improved responses to vaccines. Studies show lower rates of the common cold, faster removal of bacteria, and better antibody response in people who have a daily drink compared to those who don’t. 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 review will be useful for social and regular drinkers to appreciate the risks of low blood pressure within the first 12 hours after drinking.

Alcohol can lead to an increase in blood pressure, and regular heavy drinking is a risk factor for hypertension. Preliminary research supports Dry January’s benefits, from helping reduce people’s blood pressure, weight and insulin resistance to prompting them to reconsider their long-term relationship with alcohol. One study found that, six months after participating in Dry January, 40 percent of participants reported drinking less often and having fewer drinks, whereas 10 percent reported the opposite. The key, according to Seija, is not to do Dry January just to go binge drinking on February 1 but to perhaps find a new drinking pattern that feels comfortable and sustainable. We did not identify enough studies to construct a funnel plot for the outcomes under low doses of alcohol.

Drinks that may benefit high blood pressure

Alcohol consumption increases the amount of calcium that binds to the blood vessels. This increases the sensitivity of the blood vessels to compounds that constrict them. This measurement takes into account the systolic blood pressure and the diastolic blood pressure. Excessive alcohol consumption can increase the risk of several metabolic conditions, including high blood pressure. A person should speak to their doctor if they have concerns about their blood pressure or alcohol intake. A study from 2019 looked into the effects of aged white wine consumption in males with a high risk of cardiovascular disease.