ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the effect of long-term alcohol consumption on morning blood pressure surge (MBPS) and its association with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in males with hypertension. Methods According to the findings of our questionnaire survey, 199 male patients with hypertension were divided into non-drinking, giving up drinking and mild, moderate and heavy drinking groups. The fasting plasma glucose (FPG), serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), heart rate (HR) and body mass index (BMI) were examined in all patients. The 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and echocardiography were performed and the left ventricular mass index (LVMI) were calculated. The data were analyzed by using SPSS 10.0 software. Results The FPG, TC, TG, HDL,LDL HR, BMI and other parameters had no significant differences among the 5 groups (P>0. 05). The levels of 24- hour mean systolic blood pressure(24h SBP), daytime mean systolic blood pressure (dSBP) and nighttime mean systolic blood pressure(nSBP) in the non-drinking, giving up drinking and mild drinking groups were significantly lower than those in the moderate and heavy drinking groups (P0. 05). The average daily alcohol consumption was positively correlated with MBPS value andLVMI in the moderate and heavy drinking groups (P<0. 05). Conclusion Long-term moderate and heavy drinking can affect the circadian rhythm of blood pressure, and aggravate MBPS and LVH in males with hypertension. The MBPS and degree of LVH increase with the increase in alcohol consumption.