Alcohol & Health
Treatment
Helping Alcoholics
Medically Reviewed by Annamarie Coy, BA, ICPR, MATS
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Have you ever wondered about the relationship between alcohol and blood pressure? From having just one drink to regular and excessive consumption, the effects on your health are undeniable.
This blog post explores how alcoholic drinks raise blood pressure. It will also look into the immediate and long-term effects that can lead to serious health issues.
Most importantly, it will discuss how modifying binge drinking habits can contribute to maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. Understanding all these can reduce future risks of drinking.
When you drink alcohol excessively in one sitting, it can cause an immediate, short-term increase in blood pressure. On the other hand, frequent long-term drinking can cause lasting elevated blood pressure.
Consuming alcohol causes the blood vessels to narrow, which causes hypertension or a rise in blood pressure. This can lead to severe issues and the increased risk.
These risks include:
High blood pressure is the most common health problem associated with alcohol use. Stage 1 hypertension entails a systolic blood pressure reading of 130–139 mm Hg and a diastolic blood pressure reading of 80–89 mm Hg.
Many people, including moderate drinkers, suffer from hypertension without realizing it.
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The common symptoms of alcohol-induced hypertension include:
These symptoms don’t necessarily mean you have alcohol-induced hypertension. A visit with the doctor is still necessary for an accurate diagnosis.
Alcohol causes blood vessels to constrict and narrow. When blood vessels narrow, the heart must work harder and exert more force to move blood through the body, causing higher blood pressure.
Drinking alcohol also raises blood pressure by decreasing vasodilators such as nitric oxide (NO) in the vascular system. This results in the inability to dilate and widen blood vessels, possibly due to inhibiting nitric oxide synthase or a purely inflammatory response.7
Due to all these, alcohol consumption is a leading risk factor for hypertension. Regular drinking, even as little as one alcoholic beverage per day, can heighten your risk of developing high blood pressure. The increased risk is especially true for people aged 35 and older.
Women are more likely to experience the adverse effects of alcohol-related hypertension than men. They process alcohol differently than men due to their smaller body size and lower dehydrogenase levels—enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract that break down alcohol.
When women drink, they absorb more alcohol into their bloodstream than men. As a result, they are more susceptible to the adverse effects of drinking too much and developing hypertension.
The World Health Organization recommends that women have no more than one drink per day, while men should have no more than two drinks per day.
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Alcohol has an immediate effect on blood pressure. Even a single alcoholic drink can cause an acute increase in blood pressure, though it subsides after about 2 hours.
In the medium term, alcohol use over several days can lead to a more sustained increase in blood pressure. This also subsides in a few days rather than a couple of hours.
Hypertension is prevalent among those suffering from alcohol use disorder (AUD). However, this condition generally subsides after alcohol withdrawal and recovery. Overall, the consensus is that alcohol typically exerts only a short-term, impermanent effect on blood pressure.
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There’s no evidence showing that alcohol can be beneficial to blood pressure. Alcohol increases blood pressure, leading to heart problems and other long-term health concerns.
However, there is a link between red wine and good heart health, possibly from other co-occurring lifestyle factors.
The key aspect regarding red wine is drinking it in moderation. You are less likely to consume red wine in excess when you eat food with it. The same is true when you maintain a balanced diet.
Drinking one glass of wine several times per week does less damage to your heart than drinking multiple glasses in one sitting.
Fortunately, high blood pressure due to alcohol use is largely reversible. Several studies have shown that the acute effects of increased blood pressure from a single drink subside within a couple of hours.
Medium-term impacts are more pronounced. It takes more than a few hours to bring baseline blood pressure down to pre-alcohol levels. However, this still subsides within a matter of days or weeks.
While high blood pressure is still reversible, long-term alcohol addiction poses other effects on your overall health. Your blood pressure may return to normal levels, but any damage to your heart and body due to elevated blood pressure may be irreversible.
Besides alcohol use, several other factors affect blood pressure levels. When you combine it with even moderate drinking, these factors can lead to increased blood pressure.
Factors that affect blood pressure levels include:
It’s important to discuss any potential health risks with your doctor beforehand. Ultimately, being mindful of these factors can reduce your risk of developing hypertension due to alcohol consumption.
Help prevent high blood pressure by reducing your alcohol intake. It’s even better to stop drinking alcohol because even one drink daily can significantly increase your blood pressure.
Other things you can do to prevent or help moderate blood pressure include:
Certain lifestyle habits can contribute to elevated blood pressure. It’s important to avoid or limit:
Taking these steps can reduce your risk of developing hypertension due to alcohol consumption. It’s also important to talk to your healthcare provider if you feel like you may be at risk.
If you’re drinking too frequently and excessively, cutting back on your habits can make a major difference to your overall health.
Reducing alcohol consumption can lead to improved health overall. It can also help lower blood pressure levels and provide an increased sense of well-being.
In addition, reducing or stopping alcohol consumption can:
Alcohol consumption can lead to increased blood pressure, which can cause long-term health issues. However, the effects of alcohol on your blood pressure are reversible.
It’s important to be mindful of all the factors that affect blood pressure levels, including:
Addressing these factors can reduce your risk of developing hypertension due to alcohol consumption.
Finally, reducing or stopping alcohol consumption can benefit your health. So, consider cutting back if you feel your consumption is too frequent or excessive. It can help improve your cognitive function and your overall health and well-being.
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