Does drinking alcohol affect blood pressure? Answer From Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D. Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure to unhealthy levels. Having more than three drinks in one sitting temporarily raises blood pressure.
Beer: The most common alcoholic drink, beer is loaded with antioxidants called phenols. This protects you against suffering from heart diseases. Beer also lowers the risk of acquiring high blood pressure and helps maintaining it.
Heavy Alcohol Use:
NIAAA defines heavy drinking as follows: For men, consuming more than 4 drinks on any day or more than 14 drinks per week. For women, consuming more than 3 drinks on any day or more than 7 drinks per week.
Several studies showed that low doses of alcohol (1 drink) did not affect blood pressure in the short term. Binge drinking — having 5 or more drinks for men and 4 or more drinks for women in the span of 2 hours — can cause a temporary spike in blood pressure.
Consuming alcohol affects the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) . The RAAS is controlled by the kidneys, and its function is to regulate blood pressure through three hormones: renin, angiotensin, and aldosterone. Alcohol increases blood levels of the hormone renin, which causes the blood vessels to constrict.
Heavy alcohol users who cut back to moderate drinking can lower their top number in a blood pressure reading (systolic pressure) by about 5.5 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and their bottom number (diastolic pressure) by about 4 mm Hg. If you have high blood pressure, avoid alcohol or drink alcohol only in moderation.
Drinking alcohol increases blood pressure and repeated drinking causes sustained high blood pressure. Alcohol consumption is an entirely preventable cause of severe hypertension (the medical name for sustained high blood pressure) in both men and women.
A biphasic response was observed with high doses of alcohol, with an initial decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP, respectively) for up to 12 hours, increasing at more than 13 hours from consumption.
Drinking too much alcohol can cause your blood pressure to rise over time. After 3-4 weeks of not drinking, your blood pressure will start to reduce.
Myth: Red wine lowers blood pressure.
In fact, alcohol actually raises blood pressure. But since alcohol tends to relax people, it may lower your blood pressure slightly — although only for a short period of time, and it won't help with chronic hypertension.
In general, you shouldn't drink alcohol every single day. However, according to the alcohol consumption guidelines, it's safe for women to drink one glass of wine per day and safe for men to drink two glasses of wine per day. One glass is considered to be 5oz at 12% ABV.
Drinking only in moderation can help curb such nutritionless calories, but drinking in excess can easily derail your weight loss or weight management goals. "If someone enjoys a glass of wine daily — and assuming he or she is in otherwise good health — there's no reason to stop," adds Dr. Septimus.
Preventing high 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.
Lower Your Blood Pressure
If you drink a lot and your blood pressure is too high, you might be able to bring your numbers back down to normal by doing one simple thing: giving up alcohol. Even simply easing back on drinks can have a big payoff.
Normal pressure is 120/80 or lower. Your blood pressure is considered high (stage 1) if it reads 130/80. Stage 2 high blood pressure is 140/90 or higher. If you get a blood pressure reading of 180/110 or higher more than once, seek medical treatment right away.
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.
Some research suggests coffee can lower the risk for high blood pressure, also called hypertension, in people who don't already have it. But drinking too much coffee has been shown to raise blood pressure and lead to anxiety, heart palpitations and trouble sleeping.
While there is no cure for high blood pressure, it is important for patients to take steps that matter, such as making effective lifestyle changes and taking BP-lowering medications as prescribed by their physicians.
The more alcohol you drink, the higher the risk of developing hypertension. If you drink regularly you are at risk, especially if you're over the age of 35. One drink a day can increase the risk. When your blood vessels are narrower, the heart has to work harder to push blood around your body.
For men, binge drinking is 5 or more drinks consumed on one occasion. Underage drinking: Any alcohol use by those under age 21. Heavy drinking: For women, heavy drinking is 8 drinks or more per week. For men, heavy drinking is 15 drinks or more per week.
Unfortunately, there is no quick way to lower blood pressure without medical intervention. The best way to lower blood pressure is with long-term behavioral changes—like reducing stress, getting better sleep, exercising, and eating a low-sodium diet—but this takes time. Certain medications can also help.
Stress can cause a steep rise in blood pressure. But when stress goes away, blood pressure returns to what it was before the stress. However, short spikes in blood pressure can cause heart attacks or strokes and may also damage blood vessels, the heart and the kidneys over time.
While red wine has been touted to have many heart health benefits, lowering blood pressure is not one of them. Treat red and white wine equaling when it comes to blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, consume wine in moderation.