Blood pressure warning as just one alcoholic drink a day could raise levels
31.07.2023 - 15:37
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
Just one glass of alcohol consumed every day could lead to an increase in blood pressure, scientists have found.
A new study has suggested that drinking alcohol routinely, even in small amounts, can cause blood pressure to spike, which can lead to more severe health issues in the long run.
High blood pressure puts extra strain on the vessels, heart and other vital organs, including the brain and the eyes. If it's not kept under control, it can lead to problems including heart attacks, strokes and vascular dementia.
There are certain medications that can help to reduce blood pressure, as well as making some lifestyle swaps such as losing weight and cutting down on caffeine and salt.
But the new study, published in the Hypertension – an American Heart Association journal, saw researchers "surprised" to find that drinking alcohol at low levels also had an effect on blood pressure.
Scientists looked at data from seven international studies on drinking and high blood pressure. More than 19,500 people were involved, from the US, Korea and Japan, and they were monitored for five years.
At the start of each study, a person's usual alcoholic drink intake was recorded. Analysis was based on the grams of alcohol, rather than the number of drinks a person had.
And the scientists discovered that there was a link between increases in blood pressure, and the number of drinks a person had daily.
Even people who only had one drink per day showed a link to higher blood pressure compared to those who didn't drink alcohol.
The researchers also found an increase in diastolic blood pressure – which is the resistance to the blood flow in the blood vessels between heartbeats when blood is pumped around the heart – in men, but not in women.
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