A Study has suggested that drinking just one alcoholic drink a day could raise blood pressure and cholesterol. Researchers were surprised to see that moderate alcohol consumption could have negative health effects.
The Hypertension can overload the heart, blood vessels and other organs such as the brain, kidneys and eyes, it can also cause more serious health problems such as heart attacks, strokes and vascular dementia. Medication is not the only option to treat it, lifestyle changes such as exercising, losing weight and reduce alcohol intakesalt and coffee help control blood pressure.
The results have been published in ‘Hypertension’ (journal of the American Heart Association). More than 19,548 people from the United States, Korea and Japan participated in the study, following them for at least five years. The research was based on the grams of alcohol consumed and not the number of drinks.
They discovered a link between the number of alcoholic drinks consumed per day and increased systolic blood pressurewhich measures the heart’s ability to pump blood to the body. This relationship appeared even in people who only had one drink a day, compared to those who abstained completely.
There was also observed a increased diastolic blood pressurewhich measures the resistance to blood flow within the vessels during the moments between heartbeats.
Professor Marco Vinceti, lead author of the study, stated: “We found no beneficial effects in adults who drank a low level of alcohol compared to those who did not drink alcohol”. The expert told what was his biggest reason for surprise: “We were a little surprised to see that consumption of an already low level of alcohol was also related to greater changes in blood pressure over time compared to no consumption, although much less than the increase in blood pressure seen in heavy drinkers.”
How alcohol affects blood pressure and cholesterol
Alcohol is not the only factor that raises blood pressure but “Limiting alcohol consumption is advisable, and avoiding it is even better.”
Paul Whelton, of the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and president of the World Hypertension League, commented on a recent study: “We found that participants with initial blood pressure readings “Higher blood pressure had a stronger link between alcohol consumption and blood pressure changes over time.”
He added: “This suggests that the people with a tendency to increase blood pressure – although not yet “high” – may benefit the most from low or no alcohol consumption.
For the average adult, it is often considered that Blood pressure is high from 140/90mmHg. The study showed an increase in systolic blood pressure – the highest figure – of 1.25 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) for those who They consumed an average of 12 grams of alcohol per day.
In the case of people who They consumed 48 grams of alcohol a dayan average increase in blood pressure of 4.9 mm Hg was observed. Additionally, men who consumed 48 grams of alcohol per day experienced an average increase in their diastolic blood pressure (lower figure) of 3.1 mm Hg.
“Drinking more than this amount regularly can be harmful and lead to health problems, such as high blood pressure. “You should also try to go several days without drinking alcohol per week.”according to Regina Giblin, cardiologist nurse, head of the British Heart Foundation
“However, “Alcohol is not the only factor that can affect blood pressure and increase the risk of heart and circulatory diseases.” “Adopting a healthy lifestyle, including eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, stopping smoking, keeping cholesterol at a healthy level, and controlling weight, can help reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.” , commented the expert.
#drink #eliminate #daily #reduce #blood #pressure #cholesterol #scientists
