Alcohol increase the risk of hypertension

Hypertension rarely has any obvious symptoms, meaning it is particularly dangerous and often left untreated. Without treatment, hypertension significantly increases the risk of stroke, heart disease, vascular dementia (dementia caused by not enough blood being able to get to the brain) and chronic kidney disease.

The association between alcohol consumption and elevated blood pressure was first observed among French soldiers in 1915. Today, excessive alcohol consumption is an established risk factor for hypertension and for both hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke.

Consumption of a single alcoholic drink may cause an acute rise in blood pressure that resolves within 2 hours. Clinical studies with small sample sizes of subjects have suggested that alcohol consumption over several days may cause a more sustained rise in blood pressure.

The evidence also clearly shows reducing alcohol consumption lowers blood pressure and reduces the chance of developing hypertension.

Several other biologic effects of alcohol have been suggested to contribute to the decreased incidence of IS in moderate drinkers, including elevated HDL cholesterol, lowered fibrinogen levels, impaired primary hemostasis, better endothelial function, and some anti-inflammatory actions of alcohol.
Alcohol increase the risk of hypertension

Does Alcohol Lower Blood Pressure?

Does Alcohol Lower Blood Pressure?
Alcohol actually has two effects on blood pressure. One of these effects was initially hidden from earlier researchers, because they often performed blood pressure measurements 12 to 15 hour after the original alcohol intake.

It turns out that this point coincides with the maximal effect that alcohol has increasing blood pressure.

However, when researches attached a monitor that took study participants’ blood pressures multiple times each hour and measured their blood pressure responses during the time immediately following alcohol ingestion, and then continued on to take their blood pressure measurements 12 to 15 hours or more after alcohol intake, a different picture emerged.

Shortly after alcohol ingestion, there is actually a decline in blood pressure. After a few hours, blood pressure returns to its baseline values. As some of the metabolites (the breakdown products of alcohol) the n enter into the circulation, there is actually an increase in blood pressure that is evident about 12 to 15 hours after the original alcohol ingestion.

Overall, the net effect of alcohol is an increase in blood pressure of about two points, or 2 mm Hg.

If you look at the blood pressure 12 to 15 hours after ingestion, this effect appears to be more like 6 mm Hg.

Because a 4 mm Hg decrease in blood pressure occurs after ingestion, however, the net increase from alcohol is actually about 2 mm Hg.
Does Alcohol Lower Blood Pressure?

Protective Effects of Alcohol to Blood Pressure and Stroke

Protective Effects of Alcohol to Blood Pressure and Stroke
A relatively high alcohol intake (>4 drinks/d) is associated with elevated blood pressure and an increased risk of stroke.

Recent evidence from cohort studies suggest that the association between alcohol and hypertension may be J-shaped, such that light and moderate drinkers have a modestly reduced risk of developing hypertension, although the exact mechanism for this effect is unknown.

Studies on the association between moderate alcohol consumption and stroke have been mixed.

Several case control and cohort studies have seen a reduced risk of stroke among moderate drinkers.

In that studies that found benefit, the reduction is usually limited to ischemic rather than hemorrhagic stroke.

Clearly the data support no increase in ischemic risk at moderate levels, but more work is needed to determine if drinking patterns if influence risk of stroke.
Protective Effects of Alcohol to Blood Pressure and Stroke