A number of behaviors can increase the risk of hypertension, and drinking alcohol is one of them, according to the American Heart Association, or the AHA. In fact, drinking too much alcohol can trigger severe hypertension in some people, reports cardiologist Nieca Goldberg, M.D., medical director of New York University's Women's Heart Program.
Definition
FamilyDoctor.org, the website of the American Academy of Family Physicians, explains that hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, occurs when blood moves through your arteries at a higher pressure than normal. Hypertension is dangerous because it can lead to a heart attack or stroke if the added pressure causes an artery to rupture. Moreover, because the heart must pump harder to move blood into the arteries, your heart could eventually slow down and even stop. "Over time, hypertension weakens the heart and can lead to heart failure," Dr. Goldberg explains. Alcohol can trigger this process.
Drinking & Hypertension
The AHA reports that heavy and regular use of alcohol can increase blood pressure dramatically and lead to stroke or heart failure. The Mayo Clinic indicates that small amounts of alcohol can actually lower your blood pressure a few points, but that protective affect is lost if you drink too much alcohol. As of 2011, the AHA does not recommend drinking alcohol for the potential small benefits. In addition to triggering hypertension, alcohol can also cause triglycerides to rise, according to the AHA. Triglycerides are fats in the blood that are part of your total cholesterol. Heavy use of alcohol can also cause irregular heartbeats.
Recommendations
If you choose to drink, the AHA recommends limiting alcohol consumption to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men. One drink is equivalent to a 12-ounce beer, a 4-ounce glass of wine, 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor or one ounce of 100-proof hard liquor. If you have hypertension, the AHA advises checking your blood pressure regularly at home with a home monitor. You should give up drinking completely if you have hypertension. Taking blood pressure medicine won't help your hypertension much if you drink since alcohol reduces the effectiveness of hypertension medicine, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Warning
The Mayo Clinic warns that binge drinking, defined as having four or more drinks in a row, can cause sudden and large increases in blood pressure. The website of ABC News reports 12 or more drinks at a time have been found to raise the risk of heart-related death in men almost 13-fold. Conversely, suddenly stopping all drinking if you are a heavy drinker could cause your blood pressure to shoot up for several days. If you drink heavily, it's best stop under a doctor's supervision or taper off slowly, over one to two weeks.
References
- American Heart Association: Understanding Your Risk for High Blood Pressure
- FamilyDoctor.org: Things You Can Do to Lower Yours
- Mayo Clinic: 10 Ways to Control High Blood Pressure Without Medication
- ABC News: Binge Drinking Risky with High Blood Pressure
- Nieca Goldberg, M.D., cardiologist in New York City; medical director of NYU Women's Heart Program
