Abstract
We studied the relationship between alcohol consumption and arterial pressure in 1190 subjects of both sexes aged between 18 and 63 years who were examined during the course of a program of preventive medicine organized by Centro Diagnostico Italiano. In 711 subjects who were not requested to alter their usual alcohol consumption we found a significant relationship between alcohol consumption and systolic arterial pressure, b+SE(b), 4.6 ± 2.1 mmHg/100 g ethanol/day. In particular, males who were heavy drinkers (> 50 g_ethanol/day) presented significantly higher systolic pressure levels than the other men, d±SE(d), 3.7 ± 1.6 mmHg, whereas no significant differences were observed among the various classes of women subdivided according to alcohol intake (only 4.6% of the women consumed > 50 g ethanol/day). On the other hand, in 479 subjects who were requested to abstain from alcohol consumption during the three days preceding the examination, no significant relation was found between alcohol intake and arterial pressure. The difference between the systolic pressure levels of the male heavy drinkers and those of the male moderate and non-drinkers was only 0.1 mmHg.
Excessive alcohol consumption, in this case, mainly in the form of wine, was therefore associated with higher systolic pressure levels. However, it seems that abstaining from alcohol for even a brief period may modify this relation considerably.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arkwright P.D., Beilin L.J., Rouse I., Armstrong B.K. and Vandongen R. 1982: Effects of alcohol use and other aspects of lifestyle on blood pressure levels and prevalence of hypertension in a working population. Circulation 66: 60–66.
Arkwright P.D., Beilin L.J., Vandongen R. et al. (1982): The pressor effect of moderate alcohol consumption in man: a search for mechanism. Circulation 66: 515–519.
Armitage P. (1971): Statistical methods in medical research. Wiley, New York.
Cairns V., Keil U., Kleinbaum D., Doering A. and Stieber J. (1984): Alcohol consumption as a risk factor for high blood pressure. Munich Blood Pressure Study. Hypertension 6: 124–131.
Criqui M.H., Wallace R.B., Mishkel M. et al. (1981): Alcohol consumption and blood pressure. The Lipid Research Clinics Prevalence Study. Hypertension 3: 557–565.
Gill J.S., Zezulka A. V., Shipley L.J., Gill S.K., Beevers D.G. (1986): Stroke and alcohol consumption. N. Engl. J. Med. 315: 1041–1046.
Hones L.G., Reid J.L. (1985): Decreased vascular responsiveness to noradrenaline following regular ethanol consumption. Br. J. Clin. Pharmacol 20: 669–674.
Kannel W.B., Sorlie P. (1974): Hypertension in Framingham, epidemiology and control of hypertension. Edited by O. Paul. New York, Stratton Intercontinental Medical Book Corporation, pp. 553–592.
Klatsky A.L., Friedman G.D., Siegelaub A.B. and Gerard M.J. (1977): Alcohol consumption and blood pressure. Kaiser — permanente Multiphasic Health Examination Data. N. Engl. J. Med. 296: 1194–1200.
Kozarerevic D., McGee D., Vojvodic N. et al. (1980): Frequency of alcohol consumption and morbidity and mortality. The Yugoslavia cardiovascular disease study. Lancet ii 613–616.
Mac Mahon S.W., Blacket R.B., Mac donald G.J. and Hall W. (1984): Obesity, alcohol consumption and blood pressure in Australian men and women. The National Heart Foundation of Australia Risk Factor Prevalence Study. J. Hypertension 2: 85–91.
Mallor C.S. (1970): Nomogram for calculating mass of alcohol in different beverages. Brit. Med. J. 3: 703.
Metropolitam Life Insurance Company (1959): New weight standards for men and women. Stat. Bull Metropol. Life Ins Co 40: 1–4.
Ogaia M., Mendelson J.H., Mello K., Majachrowicz E.H. (1971): Adrenal function and alcoholism. II. Catecholamines. Psycosom Med. 33: 154–180.
Potter J.F., Bannan L.T., Saunders J.B., Ingram M.C. and Beevers D. G. (1983): Blood pressure and pressor mechanisms during alcohol withdrawal. J. of Hypertension 1 (suppl. 2): 97–99.
Potter J.F., Beevers D.G. (1984): Pressor effect of alcohol in hypertension. Lancet ii: 119–122.
Saunders J.B., Beevers D.G., Paton A. (1981): Alcohol-induced hypertension. Lancet ii: 653–656.
Smalls A.G., Kloppenborg P.W., Njo K.T. et al. (1976): Alcohol-induced Cushingoid syndrome. Br. Med. J. 2: 1298.
Snedecor G.W., Cochran W.G.(1980): Statistical methods. 7th ed., Iowa State University Press, Ames, pp. 388–391.
Stokes P.E. (1973): Adrenocortical activation in alcoholics during chronic drinking. Ann. N.Y. Acad Sci 215: 77–83.