The dangerous link between alcohol and high blood pressure

It is important for patients with hypertension to pay attention to the connection between alcohol and high blood pressure. Alcohol has a significant effect on blood pressure and regular consumption can create severe health problems for the patient.

Some studies have found that those who regularly consume large quantities of alcohol tend to have elevated blood pressure more often than those who don't drink. This is bad news for people who are regular drinkers. Studies also indicate that people whose alcohol intake is fairly limited are not necessarily prone to have high blood pressure. In other words, occasional drinkers may not have a significantly increased risk of developing hypertension.

What are the safe limits for alcohol consumption? There are no hard and fast rules, but some approximate guidelines exist. Five ounces of wine or twelve ounces of beer are usually considered to be a single drink. The average male can have one to two drinks in a day and be relatively safe despite the connection between alcohol and high blood pressure.

On the other hand, females can safely consume a maximum of just one drink per day. This is because women have considerably lower tolerance levels towards alcohol as compared to men.

It is important to note that when regular alcohol consumption goes above these safe levels, both male and females show a tendency to develop higher-than-normal blood pressure. The harmful relationship between alcohol and high blood pressure becomes clearly evident under such circumstances. When dealing with hypertensive patients, doctors always enquire about their drinking habits.

What are the effects of alcohol on blood pressure? Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to an increase in weight due to the higher calorie intake. This in turn can lead to high blood pressure.

If the patient gains weight and his blood pressure rises as a result, the doctor may need to prescribe higher doses of medication to bring it under control. Unfortunately, the alcohol in a person's body can react adversely with the medication prescribed for blood pressure control. Higher dosages of medication may be required to reduce blood pressure.

Alcohol has other effects besides weight gain. It is responsible for decreasing the levels of calcium and magnesium in the body. This can cause an increase in blood pressure. If the patient is dependent on alcohol to even a small extent, the doctor must monitor all their medications very carefully.

Thus, the link between alcohol and high blood pressure acts against the patient in two different ways. In the first place it increases the chances of developing hypertension by depressing the levels of calcium and magnesium, as well as by causing unhealthy weight gain. Apart from that, it makes high blood pressure more difficult to cure by medication because alcohol interferes with it.

It should be no surprise that doctors always advice patients to limit alcohol consumption. If the patient has congestive cardiac failure, severe hypertension or cardiac conditions like myocarditis, he or she may need to stop consuming alcohol completely. If that is not possible, the patient must reduce consumption to a very low level.

Given the connection between alcohol and high blood pressure, the best advice that can be given to anyone is to avoid alcohol altogether. If that is not possible, consumption limits prescribed by the doctor must be strictly adhered to.

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