Key points from article :
Researchers found that routinely drinking, even in small quantities, can increase a person’s blood pressure.
Examined data from seven international studies on drinking and high blood pressure.
Over 19,548 people from the US, Korea and Japan were tracked for at least five years.
Analysis was based on grams of alcohol consumed and not just on the number of drinks a person had.
Even people who drank one alcoholic beverage each day showed a link to higher blood pressure when compared to non-drinkers.
Found an increase in both systolic BP and diastolic BP (only in men).
“Limiting alcohol intake is advised, and avoiding it is even better,” - Marco Vinceti, senior study author.
Systolic BP rose by 1.25 mm Hg in people who consumed 12 grams of alcohol each day.
People who consumed 48 grams of alcohol per day saw an average increase of 4.9 mm Hg.
Men consuming 48 grams of alcohol per day saw their diastolic BP rise by an average of 3.1 mm Hg.
Study by UNIMORE published in the Hypertension – an American Heart Association journal
