Partying and having fun has always been associated with alcohol. A night out with the boys-or with the girls-is almost always never complete without a single round of drinks for everybody. It is no surprise, therefore, that the United States is one of the most hypertensive countries in the whole world. One out of four Americans is diagnosed with high blood pressure. That's 50 million individuals all in all. And that still does not include the other 30 million with borderline readings.
In a country where we like to play harder than we work, we have to pay the consequences... but is there a relationship between alcohol and high blood pressure? If so what is it?
1. Alcohol impairs the liver's ability to function properly.
Even moderate amounts of alcohol in the blood are rough on the liver, preventing it from cleaning the blood of its toxins. This allows oxidants and other damaging substances to stay in the blood and damage the heart and the blood vessels. The liver also works to metabolize certain hormones, such as rennin and angiotensin, and natural steroids which are used to maintain normal BP levels. An alcohol-impaired liver loses the ability to metabolize these hormones properly.
2. Alcohol contains a lot of calories that contribute to obesity.
When the liver is busy struggling to process the alcohol in the bloodstream, it does not have any time to process fats, which are deposited in the veins and contribute to a higher cholesterol level. The blood vessels then become congested and increase blood pressure and risk for heart diseases.
3. Right after consuming alcohol, blood pressure actually drops to lower levels while the blood vessels relax and widen.
This makes it difficult for oxygenated blood to travel to the brain, thus impaling any person's ability to think properly. This is also the reason why people who have had too much to drink feel dizzy and lightheaded and even faint. Alcohol also affects the brain's short-term memory zone. That's why you can't remember your drunken antics at last night's party.
4. Alcohol increases systolic blood pressure (the pressure when the heart pumps out blood) and decreases diastolic blood pressure (the pressure in between heartbeats).
This is why the media has taken to saying that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol may be healthy for you. That is absolutely not true. In fact, if there is a big gap between your systolic and diastolic pressures, more than 40mmHg, you most likely are suffering from stiff arteries or a leak in your aortic valve.
5. Even when you are not drinking alcohol at the moment, regular consumption can still raise blood pressure levels as alcohol reduces the amount of magnesium in your blood, a mineral which is used to keep blood pressure levels normal.
Consider it a healthful move for your heart to reduce your alcohol consumption down to the recommended amounts, which is 2 units a day for men and 1 unit a day for women. Consider it an even better option if you cut your alcohol consumption completely and start living a healthy life. Exercising, eating right, and de-stressing are definitely better at making you happy than alcohol does.
See also lower bp fast
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