Alcohol Consumption and Hypertension:
Moderate to heavy alcohol consumption is one of the factors contributing to the development of hypertension, as confirmed by numerous studies. What does it mean by moderate to heavy alcohol consumption? It should be noted that there is currently no universally simple method to accurately measure the alcohol content of various types of alcoholic beverages. The most commonly used method for estimating alcohol consumption is the “standard drink” method.
A standard drink refers to a quantity of alcohol with approximately 12g of alcohol content, roughly equivalent to 25g of 48% vodka. Research in China has shown that individuals who consume more than 50ml of vodka per day (approximately 24g of alcohol, equivalent to 2 standard drinks) have higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to those who do not consume alcohol, with an increase of 3-4mmHg and 1-2mmHg respectively.
The magnitude of blood pressure elevation increases with higher alcohol consumption. Individuals who consistently consume alcohol have a 40% higher risk of developing hypertension within 4 years compared to non-drinkers. Furthermore, consuming more than 6 standard drinks per day significantly reduces the effectiveness of antihypertensive medications.