\nAs little as one alcoholic drink a day may negatively impact high blood pressure, a new study finds.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nHigh blood pressure, or hypertension, is a condition causing blood vessel damage from blood pumping too forcefully. But research shows that even individuals without this condition can see their blood pressure take a negative turn due to alcohol consumption.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nThe new meta-analysis from the American Heart Association (AHA) suggests drinking any amount of alcohol on a daily basis can lead to high blood pressure. This supports the AHA\u2019s recommendation to limit alcohol intake to manage blood pressure and to not start drinking alcohol if you do not already.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cAlcohol\u2019s direct impact on blood pressure has been known for years, but the real question that has been vexing is what happens to blood pressure with low levels of alcohol intake,\u201d said Paul K. Whelton, MD, MSc, study-coauthor, Show Chwan Chair in Global Public Health in the department of epidemiology at Tulane University\u2019s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans.\n<\/p>\n Getty Images \/ alvarez<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/span> <\/p>\n \nWhelton and the team reviewed thousands of studies, ultimately utilizing data from seven cohort or group studies involving some 20,000 participants with light-to-moderate alcohol intake across different continents including North America and Asia.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cWhat we saw was a direct and pretty linear relationship that was continuous from the lowest level of alcohol intake to the highest level of intake, particularly for systolic blood pressure,\u201d said Whelton, who serves as the president of the World Hypertension League. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nSystolic blood pressure is the first number in a blood pressure reading. Whelton explained it\u2019s also the key number that identifies most of the cardiovascular risk. \n<\/p>\n \nHe added that the risk of high blood pressure is consistent whether you drink wine, beer, or higher percentage alcohol.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cFor people (both with and without hypertension), drinking alcohol will raise blood pressure,” said Cheng-Han Chen, MD, PhD, FACC, FSCAI, interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center.\n<\/p>\n \nChen explained that for people without hypertension, drinking may actually contribute to a new diagnosis of hypertension, adding a new risk factor for heart disease.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cFor patients currently with hypertension, drinking could further increase their risk of such diseases as heart attack or stroke,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nThe new research suggests that no amount of alcohol is heart-healthy.\n<\/p>\n \n“Our advice is in line with every guideline including the World Health Organization\u2019s (WHO) that says if you’re not already drinking, don’t start drinking,\u201d said Whelton.\n<\/p>\n \nWhelton notes the higher the intake of alcohol, the greater association with high blood pressure and the higher the blood pressure levels.\n<\/p>\n \nSome guidelines contain a limit to alcoholic drinks instead of advising against alcoholic drinks. Such guidelines include those from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Heart Association.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nChen explained that for a long time, the consensus was that it might be "safe" to drink in moderation. \u201cI expect that our medical recommendations regarding alcohol consumption are going to change in the future.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \nHe added that he tells patients that no amount of alcohol intake can be considered "heart-healthy."\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cPeople have to consider their individual risks, and moderate their drinking as much as possible depending on their individual factors," Chen said.\n<\/p>\n Drinking Alcohol Increases Cancer Risk\u2014But Very Few Americans Are Aware of the Link<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nWhelton stresses that lifestyle plays a huge part in blood pressure levels. "With or without hypertension, the more lifestyle risk factors you have, the greater the risk of developing high blood pressure," he said.\n<\/p>\n \nMany risk factors, including alcohol consumption, are modifiable. Whelton recommends trying to identify the factors that are most likely contributing to higher blood pressure and the factors you're most willing to work on changing, first.\n<\/p>\n \nWeight, diet, and physical activity can all contribute to someone's risk for high blood pressure.\n<\/p>\n \nA 2017 study showed that weight loss can reduce the risk of uncontrolled hypertension in overweight and obese persons with hypertension.<\/span> The AHA explains having excess weight puts a strain on the heart which increases the risk of high blood pressure and blood vessel damage, leading to serious health complications.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nWhen it comes to understanding the role nutrition plays in blood pressure, Whelton recommends people first assess their sodium intake.\n<\/p>\n \n"Sodium is very well-related to blood pressure,\u201d he said. \u201cIn many countries including the US, there\u2019s an excess of sodium which comes almost entirely from food processing."\n<\/p>\n \nToo much sodium can cause a deficiency in potassium as it will leach potassium from the cells to try to establish homeostasis or balance, he explained.\u00a0\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nThe Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet, or DASH diet, is specifically formulated to lower blood pressure, although any heart-healthy diet such as vegan or Mediterranean will also work, said Whelton.\n<\/p>\n \nLastly, increasing physical activity has been shown to prevent and treat high blood pressure.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nWhelton recommends brisk walking, dancing, running, and swimming when focusing on lowering blood pressure.\n<\/p>\n \nOne meta-analysis including data from over 1200 people with hypertension found aerobic activity\u2014like those Whelton mentioned\u2014to be beneficial for lowering blood pressure.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nThe AHA recommends most healthy people get 150 minutes or 2.5 hours of physical activity per week to see heart health benefits.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nWhelton noted that these modifiable lifestyle risk factors for high blood pressure are not consistent across the globe.\n<\/p>\n \nWhile we may see high blood pressure associated with aging populations in North America, he pointed to places like southwest China and Vietnam where blood pressure stays fairly consistent throughout the lifespan.\n<\/p>\n \nIf someone starts adopting Western diet and lifestyle, he said, this is when high blood pressure can start presenting.\n<\/p>\n What Are the Effects of Alcohol Consumption on the Brain?<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" New research finds that any amount of alcohol can impact high blood pressure, even in people who don't struggle with hypertension. For people without hypertension, drinking may increase their risk of hypertension. Experts recommend prioritizing healthy weight management, proper diet, and regular physical activity to maintain proper blood sugar levels. As little as one alcoholic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17345,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1235,410],"tags":[1236,116],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17345"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17345"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17345\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17345"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.health.com\/thmb\/9ewMOxR7O1q9Nv9fZLXQc81KQSk=\/1500x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()\/GettyImages-1209108178-2044071eea4d4e6bbc0bc3cd326f3c08.jpg\")
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\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Alcohol\u2019s Impact on Blood Pressure <\/span> <\/h2>\n
How Much Alcohol is Too Much Alcohol? <\/span> <\/h2>\n
Reducing Blood Pressure Risk Factors Is Possible\u00a0 <\/span> <\/h2>\n