What Are The Effects Of High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is potentially dangerous. Untreated, it damages various organs in your body, including your blood vessels and brain. Your arteries will also begin to lose their normal elasticity, which slows the flow of blood through your body.
Even more dangerous, an area of one of your arteries may weaken from the high pressure. Eventually, this weakened area can begin to bulge out . Over time, it will weaken even further, eventually rupturing and causing internal bleeding. If the aneurysm is in your brain or aorta, this is life-threatening.
You may also develop heart failure, coronary artery disease , or an enlarged left heart, in which the wall of your left ventricle thickens.
Your brain feels the effects of hypertension via:
- Stroke
- Transient ischemic attack or TIA
- Dementia
Your kidneys suffer effects such as:
- Kidney failure
You may even experience a hypertensive crisis, which is a dangerous increase in blood pressure.
How Long After You Stop Drinking Does Your Blood Pressure Drop
4.2/5one to two weeks
Keeping this in consideration, does quitting alcohol lower BP?
AbstractSeveral studies have shown that cessation of alcohol drinking reduces blood pressure .
Beside above, why does my blood pressure drop after drinking alcohol? If you binge drink in one sitting, it can temporarily raise your blood pressure levels, and if you’re a chronic binge-drinker, these increases can become long-term. Instead, if heavy drinkers want to lower their blood pressure, they should consider slowly tapering their use of alcohol.
Keeping this in consideration, is high blood pressure due to alcohol use reversible?
The hypothesis that the action of alcohol on blood pressure is rapidly reversible and that its effect is therefore mainly due to very recent alcohol consumption was examined in this study. Five hundred and seventy-seven subjects were screened in an occupational survey.
What happens to your body when you stop drinking?
1 Hour After You QuitThis is when your body kicks into full-blown detox mode to clear the alcohol from your bloodstream and prevent alcohol poisoning, says Champion. An hour after your last drink, your liver starts working overtime. Your pancreas also starts producing extra insulin, which causes intense carb cravings.
Phenol Antioxidants In Whisky And Wine
Both whisky and wine have phenol antioxidants that can protect our hearts.
Consumption of wine or whisky transiently increases the total phenol content and antioxidant capacity of plasma. This suggests that phenolics in alcoholic beverages could have antioxidant function in vivo and adequate intake of anti-oxidants and moderate alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of the development of heart disease.
Medical Disclaimer
This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. The publisher of this content takes no responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program.
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What You Need To Know About Alcohol And High Blood Pressure
HealthMatch staff
Over time, heavy consumption of alcohol can lead to chronic conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, liver disease, and even cancer.
According to studies, having more than three drinks¹ a day is associated with increased hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.
High blood pressure is sometimes referred to as the silent killer due to a lack of noticeable symptoms. It is also a high-risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and heart failure.
Lifestyle is a major cause of high blood pressure, and alcohol is among those unhealthy lifestyle choices. Excessive drinking can lead to hypertension either directly or indirectly, and it is estimated that about 10% of high blood pressure² cases in the general population can be linked to alcohol.
Read on to understand the relationship between alcohol consumption and high blood pressure.
Why Does Alcohol Cause Hypertension
Alcoholic beverages are regular drinks in most parts of the world. If consumed in little to moderate amounts, alcohol can be healthy for most individuals. However, drinking too much alcohol can create many problems including an increase in blood pressure. Having more than three drinks back-to-back can increase your blood pressure temporarily, but if you keep doing it frequently, you may develop a long-term condition called hypertension .
How alcohol causes hypertension is still not confirmed. Research suggests that the following effects of alcohol on the body can cause high blood pressure.
- Damage to the endothelium
- Atherosclerosis
- Effect on the nervous system
- Changes in sensations of blood pressure receptors in the body
- Increase in cortisol
- Increased calcium levels in the walls of the arteries
- Effect on hormones that constrict and relax the arteries
Heavy alcohol drinking increases blood pressure by about 5 to 10 mmHg and the increase in systolic pressure is more than that in diastolic blood pressure.
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Effects On Bp After Drinking
A study in the July 2020 Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews sought to get a better handle on how, or if, drinking alcohol affects blood pressure and heart rate within a 24-hour period. Researchers culled data from 32 randomized controlled trials involving 767 participants.
According to the results, one glass of alcohol has little to no effect on blood pressure, and drinking one to two standard drinks decreases blood pressure for up to 12 hours. But for those who drank much more than two drinks, blood pressure started to rise after 12 hours, the review study found.
The Cochrane study suggests that blood pressure will be higher after a night of drinking among those who consume a high dose of alcohol. The effect of occasional drinking on blood pressure is likely reversible, but the study authors conclude that regular drinking of high amounts of alcohol can permanently affect your heart rate and impair baroreceptor sensitivity, which can result in hypertension .
The baroreceptor reflex helps your body maintain normal blood pressure levels, as a November 2016 review article in the Nursing Times explains.
This is why binge drinkers are more likely to have high blood pressure than their teetotaling counterparts, notes a June 2018 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association, which found that men especially had elevated BP after repeated binge drinking.
- 12 ounces of regular beer.
- 5 ounces of wine.
- 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits.
Endothelium And Oxidative Stress
The cells within the inner linings of the blood vessels, known as endothelium cells, may be directly affected by levels of oxidative stress rising due to alcohol-induced blood pressure.
As excessive alcohol consumption may cause inflammation of the endothelium cells, the blood vessels lose elasticity as constriction of the passages is stimulated. The production of nitric oxide, required by endothelium cells, may be reduced.
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Risk Of Bias In Included Studies
Refer to and for the overall ‘Risk of bias’ assessment.
Risk of bias graph: review authors’ judgements about each risk of bias item presented as percentages across all included studies.
We independently assessed risk of bias by following the methods described in Chapter 8 of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions . We assessed the risk of bias based on 11 domains: random sequence generation , allocation concealment , blinding of participants and personnel , blinding of outcome assessment , incomplete outcome data , selective reporting for systolic blood pressure , selective reporting for diastolic blood pressure , selective reporting for mean arterial blood pressure , selective reporting for heart rate , other bias , and other bias . We classified each domain as being at low, high, or uncertain risk of bias.
In the case of disagreement, a third party was involved to discuss and resolve the disagreement. In the case of uncertain information regarding the method of RCT, we contacted study authors via email to request clarification. Refer to for further details regarding reasons and responses.
What Is Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is exactly what it sounds like: the pressure of your blood. Blood pressure is given in two numbers . This is because blood flows at two different pressures: A higher pressure occurs when the heart is contracting and forcing blood through the arteries, and a lower pressure occurs when the heart is relaxed. Both of these pressures are important, but the higher pressure tends to be the one that causes the most damage when it is elevated.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is very harmful because it causes microscopic damage to the lining of arteries. This causes scarring and hardening of the arteries and can eventually lead to blockages. These blockages can block blood flow to the heart , to the brain or to other essential organs. Heart attacks are the most common complication caused by hypertension. Hypertension can be especially deadly because people often dont realize they have it, as it doesnt cause any symptoms until a complication like a heart attack or stroke occurs. Because of this, hypertension has been called the silent killer.
Low blood pressure, or hypotension, is dangerous if blood pressure gets too low however, this usually only occurs due to disease or a large amount of blood loss. Unlike high blood pressure, low blood pressure does cause symptoms, such as dizziness and pale skin. Additionally, low blood pressure is usually not a long-term health problem like high blood pressure.
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Many Factors Drive Blood Pressure
But he pointed out that this is an observational study, so it cant show for certain the health benefits or harms of moderate drinking.
For that, youd need a randomized controlled trial, in which groups of people are assigned to drink a certain amount of alcohol each day for months or years.
For example, people who drink lightly or abstain may also tend to eat healthy, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep all of which can lower their blood pressure.
Grayver said the type of alcohol that people drink could also make a difference. Red wine, for instance, is thought to have anti-inflammatory effects on the body, which may also impact heart health.
And what you eat with your glass of beer or wine or shot of whiskey can affect your blood pressure, too.
All of the pretzels, peanuts, and other snacks that go along with alcohol consumption have a significant amount of salt in them, said Grayver. That in itself could be driving the hypertension.
Even news stories that talk about the heart benefits of alcohol may play a part.
It is possible that once someone receives a diagnosis of hypertension, they may then be incentivized to drink alcohol in moderate amounts, said Marcus.
In a 2015 study, Marcus and his colleagues found that people who believed that alcohol is heart healthy were more likely to drink more, compared to those who thought otherwise.
Find Out How Blood Pressure And Alcohol Use Are Related And Discover Why Alcohols Many Effects On Blood Pressure Can Lead To Heart Attacks And Strokes
High blood pressure can affect your health, and alcohol use is linked to increased blood pressure and other heart-related concerns. Mayo Clinic states that blood pressure has been found to temporarily increase when drinking three or more drinks in one sitting, and repeated drinking may lead to long-term elevations in blood pressure. One drink is considered to be 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor.
In some cases, light or moderate alcohol use can cause a very slight decrease in blood pressure. However, this change is very slight and is quickly reversed when more alcohol is consumed.
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Does Alcohol Interfere With Blood Pressure
A study in the journal Circulation found that alcohol could derail the bodys ability to maintain healthy blood pressure. After drinking alcohol, people have wider blood vessels, so lower blood pressure. These changes impair the bodys ability to pump fresh blood to the brain, causing dizziness.
Alcohol interferes with the livers ability to metabolize hormones renin and angiotensin, which are important for blood pressure control. Additionally, alcohol interferes with steroid production responsible for maintaining blood pressure.
Reduce or eliminate alcohol correlates with elevated blood pressure. Alcohol puts stress on the liver and reduces its ability to detoxify the blood, causing more oxidized and damaging substances in the circulation harming blood vessels. Additionally, if the liver is busy processing alcohol, it is unable to handle fats causing elevated cholesterol levels.
Treatment For Alcohol Use Disorder
Alcohol can have an impact on every system in the body causing health problems throughout the body: cardiovascular disease, liver disease, immune system problems, cancer, ulcers, and disturbance of the gastrointestinal system. Many of these problems can lead to life-threatening outcomes.
The treatment of alcohol dependency involves a variety of different methods. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the National Institute of Health are both trusted sources you can access to get help for yourself or a loved one. A combination of medical advice from a health care provider, social, and family support is also essential.
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Other Heart Risks Of Heavy Alcohol Use
There are several other cardiovascular risk factors for the heart from alcohol abuse.
These include:
- Tachycardia: An increased heart rate. This condition causes symptoms such as anxiety and concentration issues.
- Cardiomyopathy: A condition that affects the heart and blood vessels.
- Stroke: A serious medical event caused by a lack of blood to the brain, typically from blockage.
- Cardiac arrest: Commonly known as a heart attack. This is a serious risk linked to heavy alcohol use.
- Heart disease: This condition is more likely if someone has a family history of cardiovascular disease or coronary artery disease.
- Heart failure: For those who are unable to follow heart disease control measures, heart failure is possible.
How Much Alcohol Is Too Much
Whether or not moderate drinking is good for your heart is open to debate. However, for most people, it doesnt appear to be harmful to the heart, McEvoy says but the key word is moderate.
Moderate drinking is defined as an average of one drink per day for women and one or two for men. A drink might be less than you think: 12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits.
Some people should avoid even that much, McEvoy adds. He advises patients not to drink at all if they have certain heart rhythm abnormalities or have heart failure. There are certain situations where its best the patient doesnt drink any alcohol, he says.
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How Alcohol Can Raise Blood Pressure
The exact way alcohol affects blood pressure is still being studied. Some experts have suggested alcohol increases cortisol, a stress hormone leading to higher blood pressure. Others suggest inflammation and oxidation are effects of alcohol consumption, both increasing blood pressure.
Excessive drinking can increase the amount of certain fats known as triglycerides in the bloodstream. Fats combined with cholesterol in the bloodstream can block arteries, reduce blood flow, increase blood pressure, and lead to a higher risk of heart attack.
The risk of hypertension caused by drinking alcohol may change from person to person. A family history of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and alcohol abuse are all risk factors for poor heart health due to alcohol.
First What Factors Can Affect My Blood Pressure
When you or your doctor checks your blood pressure, what do those numbers tell you? For one thing, they give you an idea of how healthy your heart and blood vessels are. When your heart pumps out blood to the rest of your body, your blood vessels should be stretchy enough to take on all that incoming blood. If your blood vessels are stiff, theres less flexibility when that blood flows through, which translates to higher blood pressure.
So, things that affect how much blood your heart pumps out and how stretchy your blood vessels are include:
-
Not being physically active
-
Having diabetes
-
Drinking alcohol
Family history, genetics, and older age are factors outside of your control that can affect blood pressure, too.
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Why It Is Important To Do This Review
Several systematic reviews based on cohort studies have concluded that alcohol intake has a considerable effect on blood pressure and on risk of hypertension . It has also been shown that heavy alcohol consumption causes hypertension and leads to left ventricular dysfunction and dilated cardiomyopathy. On the other hand, abundant epidemiological and clinical evidence shows that light to moderate drinking is associated with reduced risk of coronary heart disease , incidence of stroke, and total mortality among middleaged and elderly men and women .
All these conclusions are based on findings of observational studies. Several RCTs have reported the magnitude of effect of alcohol on blood pressure, but because those trials are small, their findings are not sufficient to justify a strong conclusion. In 2005, McFadden and colleagues conducted a systematic review of RCTs, which investigated the haemodynamic effects of daily consumption of alcohol . Based on nine RCTs in which participants consumed alcohol repeatedly over days, these review authors reported that alcohol increases SBP by 2.7 mmHg and DBP by 1.4 mmHg. However, they excluded studies for which the duration of BP observation was less than 24 hours and articles published in nonEnglish languages. We believe that inclusion of those studies will provide useful information about the doserelated magnitude and timecourse effect of alcohol on blood pressure in people with both normal and elevated blood pressure.
High Blood Pressure From Alcohol Consumption
A number of factors can contribute to high blood pressure, including alcohol consumption.
High blood pressure is a common health issue in the U.S. that, if not controlled, can increase the risk of serious medical conditions such as heart attacks, stroke, and heart failure.
In the U.S., about 75 million adults have high blood pressure and it accounts for an estimated 54% of all strokes and 47% of all ischemic heart disease events.1,2 Alcohol use can contribute to high blood pressure.
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