High Blood Pressure and Alcohol

Reduce alcohol to avoid high blood pressure (Hypertension)

If you take too much alcohol, this will increase your blood pressure with time. Moreover Alcohol also contains a lot of calories which will also increase your weight and This will further increase your blood pressure.Also, alcohol can interfere with the effectiveness and increase the side effects of some blood pressure medications. There have been several scientific studies over the last 100 years that have confirmed that Alcoholism is ONE of several causes of Hypertension. Originally it was suggested that alcoholism was a cause of hypertension irrespective of a whole range of other associated socio economic factors such as economic status, your age, race, weight, serum cholesterol levels or even tobacco use. When Alcohol is present in the blood stream it covers the blood vessels and artery walls thereby increasing their tension and thereby increasing the blood pressure. This is the basic version and there are more complex definitions and explanations in existence but these are for the Medical Textbooks!

If you take recommended limits of alcohol, this will help lower your blood pressure. The current recommended limits are 21 units of alcohol a week for men, and 14 units a week for women.

How many units of alcohol are in your take?
take                                         Units of Alcohol
Single measure of spirits (25ml)    1 unit of alcohol
Pint of normal-strength beer        2 units of alcohol
Medium glass of wine (175ml)       2 units of alcohol
Large glass of wine (250ml)         3 units of alcohol
Pint of strong beer                     4 units of alcohol
If you have high blood pressure, avoid alcohol or drink alcohol only in moderation. Moderate drinking is generally considered two drinks a day for men younger than age 65, one drink a day for men age 65 and older, and one drink a day for women of any age. In some people, alcohol causes blood pressure to rise quite a lot. In other people, it doesn’t. If you drink alcohol, limit it to no more than 1 or 2 drinks per day. One drink is a can of beer, a glass of wine or 1 jigger of liquor. If your blood pressure increases with alcohol, it’s best not to drink any alcohol.

Even if you are taking less than the recommended limits, you will still benefit from taking less alcohol. Here are some tips to help you have a good night out (or in) without having to worry about your blood pressure.
* Don’t eat bar snacks like chips, crisps and peanuts – the added salt will make you want to take more alcohol, and will increase your blood pressure
* If you take alcohol at home, buy a measure so that you know how much you are drinking.
* Try low-alcohol strength options – there are now a number of lower-strength beers on the market
* Check the label on bottle– and see how many units they contain
* Make your drinks last longer by adding mixers or water, helping to dilute it