Regular alcohol consumption may raise blood pressure

Even in adults without hypertension, blood pressure readings may climb more steeply over the years as the number of daily alcoholic drinks increases, according to an analysis of seven international research studies published in the journal Hypertension. Even low levels of alcohol consumption were associated with detectable increases in blood pressure levels that may lead to a higher risk of cardiovascular events.

Researchers analysed data from seven, large, observational studies involving 19,548 adults, ranging in age from 20 to their early 70s at the start of the studies. The studies were conducted in the United States, Korea and Japan, and published between 1997 and 2021. None of the participants had previously been diagnosed with high blood pressure or other cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, liver disease, alcoholism or binge drinking.

Usual alcoholic beverage intake was recorded at the beginning of each study and the researchers translated this information into a usual number of grams of alcohol consumed daily. The researchers used a new statistical technique that allowed them to combine results from several studies and plot a curve showing the impact of any amount of alcohol typically consumed on changes in blood pressure over time.

The researchers found that systolic blood pressure — the top number in a blood pressure reading that rises with age and is a strong predictor of cardiovascular disease risk — rose 1.25 millimetres of mercury (mm Hg) in people who consumed an average of 12 grams of alcohol per day, rising to 4.9 mm Hg in people consuming an average of 48 grams of alcohol per day. Diastolic blood pressure — the bottom number in a blood pressure reading and not as strong a predictor of heart disease risk — rose 1.14 mm Hg in people consuming an average of 12 grams of alcohol per day, rising to 3.1 mm Hg in people consuming an average of 48 grams of alcohol per day.

“Alcohol is certainly not the sole driver of increases in blood pressure; however, our findings confirm it contributes in a meaningful way,” said senior author Marco Vinceti, a professor at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and an adjunct professor at Boston University.

“We were somewhat surprised to see that consuming an already-low level of alcohol was also linked to higher blood pressure changes over time compared to no consumption — although far less than the blood pressure increase seen in heavy drinkers.”

Although none of the participants had high blood pressure when they enrolled in the studies, their initial blood pressure measurements did have an impact on the alcohol findings. Study co-author Dr Paul K Whelton, President of the World Hypertension League and Chair of the American Heart Association’s 2017 Hypertension Practice Guidelines, noted, ”We found participants with higher starting blood pressure readings had a stronger link between alcohol intake and blood pressure changes over time. This suggests that people with a trend towards increased (although still not ‘high’) blood pressure may benefit the most from low to no alcohol consumption.”

According to American Heart Association recommendations, if you don’t drink already, don’t start. If you do drink, talk with your doctor about consuming alcohol in moderation. The Association does not recommend drinking any form of alcohol to gain potential health benefits, with Vinceti noting, “We found no beneficial effects in adults who drank a low level of alcohol compared to those who did not drink alcohol.”

Image credit: iStock.com/roman_sh