According to a recent study, even among men and women who did not already have hypertension, as little as one alcoholic drink per day raised systolic blood pressure, which is the highest number in a blood pressure reading.
A study reveals that women are more at risk than men as alcohol-related mortality increases in the US.
According to senior study author Dr. Marco Vinceti, a professor of epidemiology and public health at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy, "We found no beneficial effects in adults who drank a low level of alcohol compared to those who did not drink alcohol."
The study discovered that even among men and women who drank infrequently each day, alcohol continued to have a detrimental effect on systolic blood pressure over time. Small doses of alcohol also increased diastolic blood pressure, but only in males, the study, which was released on Monday in the journal Hypertension, found.
Systolic blood pressure is unquestionably the most significant risk factor in adults, according to study coauthor Dr. Paul Whelton, chair of global public health at Tulane University's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans and president of the World Hypertension League. Systolic and diastolic readings both contribute to (cardiovascular) risk and go hand in hand, but of the two, systolic blood pressure is definitely the most significant risk factor in adults.
Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Health
Blood pressure is expressed as two numbers, one above the other, and is expressed in units of millimeters of mercury (abbreviated as mmHg). Systolic blood pressure, also known as the top reading, is a "major risk factor for cardiovascular disease for people over 50," according to the American Heart Association. Systolic blood pressure measures the force of blood against artery walls as the heart contracts. The lower diastolic value gauges artery pressure during the heart's period of rest in between beats. According to a study, drinking at any level is bad for blood pressure.
The AHA stated that a normal systolic value is 120 mm Hg or below, but that it tends to increase as blood vessels get weaker and narrower with age. A normal diastolic value is less than 80 mm Hg, however; however, our arteries become stiffer and lose some of their flexibility, sometimes increasing our pulse rate.
Although not the only factor in blood pressure increases, Vinceti, who is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Boston University's School of Public Health, said, "Our findings confirm it contributes in a meaningful way."
It is advised to limit alcohol consumption, but eliminating it altogether is preferable.
According to Dr. Andrew Freeman, head of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver, the idea that drinking too much alcohol increases blood pressure has been around for a very long time.
Freeman, who was not involved in the study, noted that "this review found relatively low levels of alcohol impacted blood pressure." So, in my opinion, this study just proves that there may not be a safe level of alcohol consumption.
Risk increases as alcohol use does.
The review included information from seven studies that were done between 1997 and 2021 in Japan, South Korea, and the United States. Throughout an average five-year period, it monitored more than 19,000 adults between the ages of 20 and about 70 who had never been previously diagnosed with alcoholism, binge drinking, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or liver disease.
Concerned about your consumption? Here's how to do that:
At the beginning of the studies, all participants were questioned about their average alcohol use, which was converted into grams of alcohol to prevent cultural disparities over what constituted a "standard drink."
For instance, the US defines the requirement as 14 grams of alcohol per drink, whereas the World Health Organization sets the standard at 10 grams.
You probably consume more than one standard drink each day in the US, according to Whelton. You should tell your server, "You cheapskate, go back and pour a real glass of wine," if you received a pour of wine at a restaurant that contained 14 grams of alcohol. We believe we are having one typical drink, but we're not.
Statistics were then used to chart how varied alcohol intake levels over time affected blood pressure. Less than one standard US drink, or 12 grams of alcohol consumed daily, resulted in a slight increase in systolic BP of 1.25 mm for about 5 years.
Although it was much less than the increase in blood pressure reported in heavy drinkers, Vinceti said, "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."
In comparison to nondrinkers, those who drank an average of 48 grams of alcohol per day—roughly 3.5 standards US drinks—had systolic blood pressure that increased by over 5 mm Hg.
According to Tulane's Whelton, "That would definitely push you from pre-hypertensive to hypertensive, just as eating too much sodium, not eating enough fruits and vegetables, and not exercising enough will push you in the wrong direction."
Another result, according to Whelton, is that the effect of alcohol on blood pressure was considerably more pronounced if a person's readings were already rising at the time the trial started.
"This suggests that low to no alcohol consumption may be most advantageous for people with a tendency toward increased blood pressure," he said.
Unclear alcohol signals
How do the study's findings compare to earlier studies that suggested alcohol might be good for the heart? For starters, Whelton noted that many of the older randomized clinical trials merely contrasted light drinkers with strong drinkers rather than those who abstained entirely.
In clinical studies, drinkers are typically randomly assigned to consume less alcohol, such as light beer, versus continuing to do so. Naturally, those who drank little to no alcohol had better results, added Whelton, who also co-authored a meta-analysis of similar studies.
"From a blood pressure perspective, I think most people would agree that there's no level at which alcohol is safe," he continued. You might hear different things about it from a cardiovascular perspective.
Alcohol usage is linked to actions that can be both helpful and harmful, which makes it challenging to study, according to Freeman.
Exercise sitting against a wall STOCK
According to a study, two workouts are the best for lowering blood pressure.
"Your exposure to secondhand smoke and alcohol will definitely disrupt your sleep, and both are harmful to your health," he said. "If you're drinking in a smoke-filled bar at night with friends." Though you're seeing the pros of socialization.
According to studies on "blue zones," regions of the world where people frequently live to or past 100, little amounts of alcohol are frequently taken with dinner and are a common part of their diets. Is it the use of alcohol or the close-knit social networks that promote longevity?
It might be challenging to identify these connections, Freeman acknowledged, adding that he offers his patients the same advice as the AHA and WHO do.
First off, he advised against starting to drink. "If they do drink, they should make an effort to limit how much they consume and then continue to engage in heart-healthy activities like exercise and stress management.
Exercise is an extraordinarily effective strategy to reduce systolic and diastolic blood. It helps in the relaxation and efficiency of the heart.