The magnitude of the effects of alcohol on blood pressure and heart rate varies, based possibly on genetic factors and on the amount of alcohol consumed. We are aware of one systematic review on effects of alcohol on blood pressure what is Oxford House that was published in 2005 (McFadden 2005). McFadden 2005 included both randomised and non‐randomised studies with a minimum of 24 hours of blood pressure observation after alcohol consumption. This systematic review searched only the MEDLINE database for relevant studies, hence it was not exhaustive. Review authors included nine studies involving a total of 119 participants, and the duration of these studies was between four and seven days. Participants in those studies consumed alcohol regularly during the study period, whereas in our systematic review, we included only studies in which participants consumed alcohol for a short period.
- An increase in plasma renin results in increased production of angiotensin I (AI), which is converted to angiotensin II (AII) by angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE).
- If you have concerns about alcohol consumption and its effects on your health, it’s always best to consult with a healthcare professional.
Saito 2003 published data only
When your arteries tighten, your heart has to work harder to pump blood through them. Over time, this added strain can lead to hypertension, or chronically high blood pressure, a condition that significantly increases your risk of heart disease, stroke, and other health problems. Alcohol’s effects on blood pressure are complex; it can cause an initial decrease followed by a rebound increase hours later, and it raises heart rate, stressing the cardiovascular system. Additionally, alcohol promotes neurohormonal changes—like sympathetic nervous system activation and cortisol release—that contribute to elevated blood pressure. The UK Chief Medical Officers advise against drinking more than 14 standard drinks per week to minimize health risks, including high blood pressure alcohol and cardiovascular disease.
Lifestyle Changes to Support Healthy Blood Pressure
- Over time, heavy drinking also makes many other serious health problems more likely, including heart disease, heart failure, liver disease, alcohol use disorder, and certain types of cancer.
- The relationship between alcohol and blood pressure is a topic that has long intrigued both medical professionals and the general public.
- As a result, peripheral resistance and blood volume increases leading to elevated arterial blood pressure in both healthy and hypertensive people.
- Therefore, we were unable to perform a subgroup analysis based on the sex of participants.
It’s always advisable to consult with a healthcare professional to determine the appropriate alcohol intake for your specific situation. When alcohol is consumed, it can lead to an immediate increase in blood pressure. This occurs because alcohol acts as a vasodilator, causing the blood vessels to relax and widen.
Kawano 2002 published data only
- Ethyl alcohol (ethanol) is the psychoactive ingredient in beverages like beer, wine, and spirits.
- In the case of detection bias, we classified nine studies as having low risk of performance bias (Agewall 2000; Bau 2005; Bau 2011; Cheyne 2004; Dai 2002; Karatzi 2013; Narkiewicz 2000; Rosito 1999; Van De Borne 1997).
- To lower blood pressure, consider reducing sodium intake, increasing physical activity, losing weight, managing stress, and quitting smoking.
- High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a condition where the force of the blood against the artery walls is consistently too high.
If left unaddressed, high blood pressure (hypertension) escalates the risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney problems, severe conditions like wet brain, and other serious conditions. Alcohol significantly affects blood pressure readings for hours after consumption, making accurate medical assessment impossible during this period. Studies show that people who drink more than two drinks per day have consistently higher blood pressure readings than non-drinkers. Untreated, it damages various organs in your body, including your blood vessels and brain.
Cannabis is not a chill as you might think (at least for your heart)
In conclusion, alcohol consumption can increase the risk of hypertension and other metabolic disorders in various ways. For instance, alcohol can affect cortisol and vasopressin levels, baroreceptor sensitivity, and RAAS, all of which can result in high blood pressure. To prevent how does alcohol affect blood pressure the risk of health complications, an individual must limit his/her intake. Furthermore, if an individual suspects he/she has alcohol addiction then seeking medical advice is essential. Immediately after consuming alcohol within six hours, blood pressure may actually decrease temporarily, especially with moderate consumption.
So, we decided to conduct a sensitivity analysis of the included studies based on the blinding condition (Table 7). We observed a greater reduction in blood pressure after a moderate dose of alcohol consumption for the unblinded studies, which was probably due to the presence of a heterogeneous population. For high‐dose alcohol studies, we did not find any significant difference between blinded and unblinded studies. It is a common substance of abuse and its use can lead to more than 200 disorders including hypertension. This review aimed to quantify the acute effects of different doses of alcohol over time on blood pressure and heart rate in an adult population. Alcohol can cause a temporary increase in blood pressure, even after just a few drinks.
We excluded 450 trials after reviewing the full‐text articles, and we recorded the reasons for exclusion (see table Characteristics of excluded studies table). Refer to Characteristics of included studies and Table 4 for further details regarding these studies. All outcomes of interest in the review (BP and HR) produced continuous data. We calculated and reported mean difference (MD), with corresponding 95% confidence interval (95% CI).