Alcohol and your health: Risks, benefits, and controversies

The authors of a 2020 research review examined the short-term effects of alcohol on healthy people over 18 years old within 6 hours of consumption. Drinking too much alcohol can raise pressure on the walls of blood vessels to unhealthy levels. Having more than three drinks in one sitting raises blood pressure for a short time.

Ajani 2000 published data only

After de‐duplication and screening of titles and abstracts, we were https://yourhealthmagazine.net/article/addiction/sober-houses-rules-that-you-should-follow/ left with 482 citations for further assessment. We retrieved full‐text articles for those citations and included 32 studies (Figure 1). The Cochrane Hypertension Information Specialist searched the following databases without language, publication year, or publication status restrictions.

On the other hand, Fantin 2016 allowed participants to continue drinking during the period of outcome measurement. These differences in alcohol consumption duration and in outcome measurement times probably contributed to the wide variation in blood pressure in these studies and affected overall results of the meta‐analysis. We did not consider the lack of blinding of participants as a downgrading factor for certainty of evidence because we do not think that it affected the outcomes of this systematic review. Changes in blood pressure and heart rate after alcohol consumption were not the primary outcomes of interest in most of the included studies. We do not think participants were anticipating any significant influence on blood pressure or heart rate after drinking.

Burke 2006 published data only

Having more fluids in the body directly increases blood pressure levels. This combination of higher fluid levels in the body and smaller blood vessels increases blood pressure. Some older studies suggested that red wine might be good for heart health. But doctors now believe that alcohol doesn’t serve up any heart benefits. A doctor may recommend a person with hypertension not to consume energy drinks. Research from 2019 found that drinking 32 ounces (oz) of energy drink in an hour could increase blood pressure.

The trial was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR). We classified the remaining studies as having high risk of bias because the protocol was not registered and the study identifier was not reported. Therefore, it is difficult to determine a priori selection of primary and secondary outcome measures for the included studies. We classified seven studies as having unclear risk of performance bias (Bau 2005; Bau 2011; Cheyne 2004; Dumont 2010; Karatzi 2005; Mahmud 2002; Maule 1993). Bau 2005 and Bau 2011 mentioned only that investigators and volunteers were blinded to the content of the drink but did not mention the method of blinding used in these studies. Karatzi 2005 mentioned the method of blinding of participants, but it is not clear whether involved personnel were blinded as well.

When the SNS gets activated by alcohol, it can increase heart rates and constrict blood vessels. Prolonged activation of the SNS can contribute to health issues like high blood pressure. Current alcoholic beverage labels in the US warn of the risks of driving under the influence of alcohol, adverse effects on general health, and risks for a developing fetus — but there’s no mention of cancer. The findings of this review support the current recommendations to avoid alcohol. The regular consumption of over 30 g/day of alcohol increases hypertension risk in linear proportion to the dosage and may independently cause cardiac damage in hypertensive patients.

Comparison 2. Medium‐dose alcohol vs placebo.

• Men aged 65 years and older should not have more than one standard shot daily.
• This is unfortunate, as we have reason to believe that the effects of alcohol on BP might be greater in women.
• Consuming alcohol can increase the risk of high blood pressure and other metabolic conditions in several ways.
• Binge drinking, especially long term, can have a more significant effect.
• Both review authors (ST and CT) rated the certainty of evidence independently by examining risk of bias, indirectness, inconsistency, imprecision, and publication bias.

It’s long been touted as “good for heart health,” but newer research suggests its benefits aren’t as great as we thought. In fact, several studies have shown that drinking red wine regularly raises blood pressure, according to an April 2023 review sober house in Nutrients1. Methodological differences between studies might have affected measurement of the reported outcomes.

• Nao Medical’s cardiology team can help you manage your blood pressure and improve your overall heart health.
• We reviewed available evidence about the short‐term effects of different doses of alcoholic drinks compared to non‐alcoholic drinks on blood pressure and heart rate in adults (≥ 18 years) with both normal and raised blood pressure.
• If you have high blood pressure, doctors recommend decreasing your total alcohol intake or not drinking alcohol at all.
• The blood alcohol level decreased over time, and 20‐HETE started to rise (Barden 2013).
• A 2022 study found that people with severe hypertension who drank 2 or more cups of coffee per day had a higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
• Study authors mentioned that acute ethanol administration caused transitory increase in BP at 20 minutes.

Puddey 1985a published data only

Despite everything mentioned above, we know that moderation and balance is the key to most things in life. Most adults should stick with no more than one to two drinks per day, per the AHA. In the case of performance bias, we classified six studies as having low risk of bias, 19 studies as having high risk of bias, and seven studies as having unclear risk of bias. We conducted a standard Chi² test through Review Manager Software 5.3 to test for heterogeneity (Review Manager (RevMan)). A P value of 0.1 or less was considered to show statistically significant heterogeneity.

What to know about alcohol and blood pressure

It is important to note that information regarding to the method of randomisation used in Foppa 2002 and Rosito 1999 was provided by the study author via email. Different types of alcoholic beverages including red wine, white wine, beer, and vodka were used among 32 studies. The dose of alcohol ranged between 0.35 mg/kg and 1.3 g/kg, and alcohol was consumed over five minutes and over one hour and 30 minutes.

So, it was not appropriate to conduct a separate meta‐analysis based on that population. We also calculated SD if 95% CI, P value, or t value was reported in the included studies, according to Chapter 7 of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions (Higgins 2011). If we were not able to get SD from the study authors or calculate SD from the values mentioned above, we imputed SD using the following hierarchy (listed from highest to lowest) (Musini 2014). You can reduce hypertension by reducing your alcohol intake and following the treatment plan that your doctor recommends. If you have developed any complications of high blood pressure or alcohol intake, your doctor can also help you manage them as well.

The risk for these diseases is slightly higher for people who heavily drink alcohol and are non-drinkers. Drinking whiskey straight is ideal for people cutting down on their carbohydrate intake. A team at the University of California conducted a study and found that people who drink whiskey in moderation get to live until 90 years old and beyond. Aside from slightly lowering blood pressure, whiskey also has other potential benefits to lengthen your lifespan. At least one standard shot of whiskey for women and two standard shots for men in a day is healthy. Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, Knob Creek Bourbon, Wild Turkey 101, Maker’s Mark, and Woodford Reserve are all great choices for those looking to improve their blood pressure levels.

Sara Tasnim (ST) and Chantel Tang (CT) drafted the protocol with help from JMW. Both ST and CT independently assessed studies for inclusion or exclusion and assessed the risk of bias of all included studies. We identified Stott 1987 and Barden 2013 from Analysis 3.1 and Analysis 3.2 as having a considerably lower standard error (SE) of the mean difference (MD) compared to the other included studies.

Last, we attempted to explore the reason for heterogeneity by looking for clinical and methodological differences between trials. 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). There’s not currently a recommended amount of alcohol for people with hypertension since this can vary from person to person. You and your doctor can make an individualized treatment plan to lower your blood pressure and address your alcohol use. In addition to alcohol use, many other factors can cause high blood pressure.