High Blood Pressure and Alcohol

According to a study by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 26% of adult Coloradans had high blood pressure in 2013, a significant rise from 21% in 2003. Research has not proven that wine is linked to lowering blood pressure, says James Beckerman, MD, a cardiologist at the Providence St. Vincent Heart Clinic in Portland, OR. Individuals who do not experience withdrawal symptoms will likely see the positive effects of giving up alcohol shortly after doing so. However, people who are dependent on alcohol or have been misusing alcohol for a long period of time may have difficulty quitting. Cortisol increases the release of catecholamines, which are chemicals in the body that help regulate many processes and help keep the body functioning as it should. It also regulates metabolism, immune function, and inflammatory pathways.

A 2020 review reported that drinking cranberry or cherry juice may improve your blood pressure. This can cause your heart and blood vessels to work harder, which can damage your heart muscle over time. Additionally, it can cause small tears in the walls of your arteries to form, leading to the buildup of fatty plaque.

How does alcohol affect blood pressure?

All extracted data were entered and double‐checked in RevMan 5.3 software (Review Manager (RevMan)). When noradrenaline stimulates the adrenergic receptors located in the heart muscles, heart rate and blood pressure are increased. 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.

• While most studies show this results from drinking more heavily (more than 1-2 drinks a day), Klatsky says some research indicates even light-moderate drinking could play a role in a younger woman’s risk of breast cancer.
• Studies have shown a link between alcohol and hypertension, or high blood pressure.
• We contacted the study authors for missing or unclear information relevant to the review using contact information provided in their respective articles.
• However, current recommendations like those from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) focus on limiting alcohol to one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men.

We are aware of one systematic review on effects of alcohol on blood pressure that was published in 2005 (McFadden 2005). McFadden 2005 included both randomised and non‐randomised studies with a minimum of 24 hours of blood pressure observation after alcohol consumption. This systematic review searched only the MEDLINE database for relevant studies, hence it was not exhaustive. Review authors included nine studies involving a total of 119 participants, and the duration of these studies was between four and seven days. Participants in those studies consumed alcohol regularly during the study period, whereas in our systematic review, we included only studies in which participants consumed alcohol for a short period. Based on nine studies, McFadden 2005 reported that the mean increase in SBP was 2.7 mmHg and in DBP was 1.4 mmHg.

Puddey 1987 published data only

According to a 2018 study and the World Health Organization, no amount of alcohol intake is safe, so any amount may be considered too much. A 2018 study, echoed by the World Health Organization (WHO), concluded that no amount of alcohol is safe for consumption, as alcohol leads to a loss of healthy life. Drinking frequently or binging on a large amount of alcohol in a small period of time can lead to health problems. Each study had to meet strict eligibility criteria, allowing researchers to focus on participants with no previous history of cardiovascular disease.

More RCTs are needed to study the effects of low‐dose alcohol to better delineate the dose‐response effects of alcohol on BP and heart rate. RCTs with measurements more than 24 hours after alcohol consumption are needed to see how long the effect of high‐dose acute alcohol consumption lasts. The magnitude and direction of the effects of alcohol on blood pressure depend on the time after alcohol consumption.

Tinklenberg 1976 published data only

For example, alcohol can affect calcium levels, cortisol levels, and baroreceptor sensitivity, all of which can lead to increases in blood pressure. This measurement takes into account the systolic blood pressure and the diastolic blood pressure. If you drink alcohol, limit consumption to no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. Generally, one drink equals a 12-ounce beer (5% content), 8-ounce malt liquor (7% content), a 5-ounce glass of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.

• In the United States, 14 grams of pure alcohol is considered as one standard drink or one unit, and the maximum daily limit for men and women is four and three drinks, respectively (NIAAA 2017).
• Because all of our outcomes of interest provided continuous data, we used the inverse variance approach and a fixed‐effect model to combine effect sizes across studies.
• Tasnim, Sara; et al. “Effect of alcohol on blood pressure.” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, July 2020.
• On the other hand, Fantin 2016 allowed participants to continue drinking during the period of outcome measurement.
• High blood pressure affects nearly half of adults in the United States, but only 1 in 4 has it under control.

However, they excluded studies for which the duration of BP observation was less than 24 hours and articles published in non‐English languages. We believe that inclusion of those studies will provide useful information about the dose‐related magnitude and time‐course effect of alcohol on blood pressure in people with both normal and elevated blood pressure. Medium‐dose alcohol decreased systolic blood pressure (SBP) by 5.6 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) by 4 mmHg within the first six hours of consumption. Hypertension can be genetic or may be due to environmental factors such as poor diet, obesity, tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption, and sedentary lifestyle (Weber 2014; WHO 2013). A population‐based study showed that the incidence of hypertension is higher in African descendants (36%) than in Caucasians (21%) (Willey 2014). Proper management of hypertension can lead to reduction in cardiovascular complications and mortality (Kostis 1997; SHEP 1991; Staessen 1999).

Study authors mentioned that acute ethanol administration caused transitory increase in BP at 20 minutes. Rossinen 1997 measured blood pressure but selectively reported only SBP instead of reporting both SBP and DBP. Karatzi 2013Maufrais 2017 and Van De Borne 1997 measured blood pressure before and after treatment but does alcohol lower blood pressure did not report these measurements. We classified seven studies as having high risk of bias (Agewall 2000; Bau 2011; Dumont 2010; Fazio 2004; Karatzi 2013; Maufrais 2017; Van De Borne 1997). Agewall 2000 measured blood pressure upon arrival of participants and did not measure blood pressure after the intervention.

• 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.
• A randomized pilot study from 2016 found that the juice of both raw and cooked beets improved blood pressure.
• We contacted the author of Rosito 1999 to request additional information regarding the method of blinding used.
• All outcomes of interest in the review (BP and HR) produced continuous data.

Anyone trying to quit drinking cold turkey can have dangerous levels of blood pressure from alcohol withdrawal. The safest way for someone to detox from alcohol is to go to a medical facility. Substance use professionals can help people gradually taper off alcohol to prevent dangerous side effects. Doctors can also monitor people’s heart rate and blood pressure and provide life-saving measures if people suddenly experience extreme withdrawal symptoms.