Alcohol and Your Health: What the Latest Science Says

You can expect to hear about more research, debate, and controversy in the near future regarding the potential risks and benefits of drinking, and how much — if any — is ideal. Studies published in the American Heart Association’s scientific journals are peer-reviewed. The statements and conclusions in each manuscript are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association’s policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability.

Immediate effects of alcohol on blood pressure

You can manage and reduce your risk of heart problems by lowering your blood pressure levels. And not so long ago there was general consensus that drinking in moderation also came with health advantages, including a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Your heart rate, or pulse, is the number of times your heart beats per minute. 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.

Healthy Alternatives to Drinking

And the alcoholic beverage industry is a major economic force, responsible for more than $250 billion in sales annually in the US. Regular excessive drinking has a clear link to ongoing high blood pressure. Swapping some of your usual alcoholic drinks for a tasty non-alcoholic option is an easy way to cut back. Or making a permanent switch to lower alcohol alternatives can be a sustainable approach to cutting down in the longer term, if you’re not ready to give up alcohol. If you’re worried about your or a loved one’s drinking habits, screening questionnaires like CAGE or AUDIT can help clarify the severity of alcohol use patterns and link them to possible health consequences. A Brief Overview of AlcoholEthyl alcohol (ethanol) is the psychoactive ingredient in beverages like beer, wine, and spirits.

Increased Risk of Hypertension

• Possible Blood Pressure SpikeFollowing heavy consumption, individuals might notice an uptick in heart rate and BP.
• He earned an MD degree in 2008 and later completed Harvard Medical School’s lifestyle medicine training in 2012, before obtaining a PhD in holistic health and an ScD in sports nutrition.
• Yet, more and more, the science is pointing to the health risks of drinking alcohol.
• One of the primary ways alcohol influences blood pressure is by causing your arteries to constrict or narrow.
• Ramnauth said alcohol can also impair or diminish “baroreceptors in the brain that would sense blood pressure.” These baroreceptors regulate blood pressure by detecting changes and signaling the body to adjust.

One area of interest is how the consumption of alcohol impacts blood pressure. However, even drinking small amounts of alcohol may contribute to high blood pressure. Ultimately, the relationship between alcohol and blood pressure is a reminder that balance is crucial. Enjoying a drink now and then is unlikely to cause harm, but understanding the potential risks empowers you to make decisions that support your long-term health. If you already have high blood pressure, your doctor may have advised you to drink alcohol in moderation and cut back on your overall alcohol intake. If you drink large amounts of alcohol daily, consider talking with a healthcare professional about how to taper off your alcohol intake to prevent symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

When you drink alcohol, it’s quickly absorbed into your bloodstream through the stomach and small intestine. From there, it travels to your liver for processing, but some circulates throughout your body, affecting your heart, arteries, and blood pressure. This rapid absorption is why alcohol can have almost immediate effects, from relaxation to raising your blood pressure, depending on how much and how often you drink. The relationship between alcohol and blood pressure is a topic that has long intrigued both medical professionals and the general public. For many, a glass of wine or a pint of beer is a cherished ritual, a way to unwind after a long day or celebrate a special occasion. But beneath the surface of this seemingly harmless indulgence lies a complex interplay between alcohol and our cardiovascular system.

• The statements and conclusions in each manuscript are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association’s policy or position.
• Studies have shown that a good percentage of people who drink alcohol also smoke, which can raise blood pressure as well.
• Naheed Ali, MD, PhD, ScD, is a physician by education and a writer by choice.
• Researchers were unable to study in-depth the relationship between age, blood pressure, and alcohol intake.
• Her work has appeared in Women’s Health, Men’s Health and Reader’s Digest.Dr.
• Research shows that individuals who reduce their alcohol intake to recommended levels (one drink a day for women and two for men) often see a reduction in both their systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings.

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. We are also moderately certain that high‐dose alcohol decreased blood pressure within six hours, and the effect lasted up to 12 hours. Heart rate increased significantly after alcohol consumption and remained increased at all times measured.

• This means that as you sip to find relief from anxiety, you are actually reinforcing a loop that keeps you tethered to the emotions you’re trying to outrun.
• When consumed, ethanol is quickly absorbed in the stomach and small intestine, entering the bloodstream and traveling to organs, including the brain.
• Kimberly Goad is a New York-based journalist who has covered health for some of the nation’s top consumer publications.

“For decades, cigarette smoking was socially acceptable, with little awareness of the damage it was doing,” says Christine Maren, D.O., a board-certified physician specializing in functional medicine. Fast-forward to today, and we are facing a similar wake-up call—this time with alcohol. The type of alcohol you drink—whether beer, wine, or spirits—does not significantly impact how alcohol raises blood pressure. While red wine contains antioxidants like resveratrol that may have heart-health benefits, drinking too much wine still increases the risk of high bp alcohol blood pressure and cardiovascular problems.

Here are some frequently asked questions that you may plan to discuss with your doctor and care team, to help you manage blood pressure and heart health. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease, and how you manage your blood pressure is an important part of your overall health management. Here are some common questions you may have about blood pressure and its relationship to your heart health. We included 32 randomised controlled trials involving 767 participants published up to March 2019.

Andrews expresses that this sets the stage for fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis and, in the worst-case scenario, cirrhosis—where the liver marijuana addiction is scarred beyond repair and its ability to function goes downhill. Assessing the risks and benefits of alcohol consumption remains an active area of research that may lead to major changes in official guidelines or warning labels. For millions of people, it’s a regular part of the dining experience, social and sports events, celebrations, and milestones.

• A number of experts have recommended revision of the guidelines toward lower amounts, as more studies have linked even moderate alcohol consumption to health risks.
• Drinking too much alcohol is a leading risk factor for developing high blood pressure alcohol.
• After all, alcohol is deeply woven into our social celebrations, cultural traditions and even daily routines.
• The type of alcohol you drink—whether beer, wine, or spirits—does not significantly impact how alcohol raises blood pressure.
• Further evidence is needed to elucidate how the management of non-dipping patterns affects clinical outcomes.

So it’s hard to predict who might actually benefit and who may be harmed more than helped by alcohol consumption. And the balance of risk and benefit likely varies from person to person, based on individual factors such as genetics and lifestyle factors. In many cases, even moderate drinking (defined below) appears to increase risk. Despite this, less than half of the US public is aware of any alcohol-cancer connection. Changing the labels as suggested by the Surgeon General will require congressional action that may never happen.