Alcohol consumption and hypertension.

ABSTRACT

The effect of acute alcohol consumption was studied in healthy subjects (Group-I) and in nondrinking hypertensive (Group-II) and in regularly drinking hypertensive patients (Group-III). All subjects consumed alcohol (1gm/kg body weight daily) for 5 days, then abstained for 5 days. Blood pressure was recorded in standing and supine position every morning. Group-I showed no significant difference in blood pressures during and after alcohol consumption. Group-II showed a statistically significant increase in the supine and standing systolic/diastolic and mean blood pressure when consuming alcohol (P < 0.01) as compared to the period of abstinence. In Group-III, hypertensive patients who drank regularly showed significant decrease in systolic blood pressure in the period of abstinence during standing (p < 0.02) as well as in supine position (p < 0.001) and diastolic and mean blood pressure reduction in standing and supine position (p < 0.01) as compared to the period of drinking.