Does alcohol cause blood pressure to rise

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Alcohol-related high blood pressure affects about 16% of people in the U.S.

Alcoholism can affect the healthy functioning of your body, including your cardiovascular system. If you or a loved one has a problem with drinking, it’s important to know how alcohol can affect blood pressure, and whether these changes are reversible. Read on for key insights about this important health issue. 

Does Alcohol Lower or Increase Blood Pressure?

The relationship between alcohol and the heart is still being actively studied and debated. Some believe that moderate drinking is protective, but recent studies are finding that no amount of alcohol is good for you. 

A 2022 study published by JAMA Network Open found that even low levels alcohol intake, when consumed regularly, are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular issues, like high blood pressure, and that this risk increased exponentially with increasing higher levels alcohol consumption.

Additionally, the American Heart Association reports that excessive alcohol intake can indeed increase your blood pressure. The Association also notes that the belief that red wine is heart healthy is, unfortunately, and unsubstantiated myth. 

How Does Alcohol Cause Hypertension?

“Alcohol can raise blood pressure temporarily even with short-term use.” explains Dr. Sabrina Barata, Internal Medicine Physician at Mercy Medical Center. “Typically, elevated blood pressure self resolves within a few hours in this case. However, with excessive long-term alcohol intake, alcohol can cause high blood pressure through the development of a variety of risk factors associated with long-term use.”

“These include risk factors for coronary artery disease through weight gain due to the high caloric intake of alcohol, the development of a buildup of plaque and narrowing in your arteries, elevated cholesterol, and elevated blood sugars. All these risk factors play a part in the development or exacerbation of high blood pressure through its effects on your body and the consequences of these conditions on your heart.” Barata explains.

Alcohol can affect blood pressure in several ways. According to a 2020 review published by The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, alcohol can affect the activity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), which is a hormone system that helps maintain the balance of fluid and electrolytes in the body. Increasing the activity of the RAAS leads to sodium and water retention, which increases blood volume and blood pressure. 

Alcohol can also impact the body’s ability to detect changes in blood pressure and make adjustments to keep it controlled. In addition, drinking alcohol can increase cortisol, which causes heart rate and blood pressure to increase.

Studies have found that chronic heavy drinking increases nitric oxide in the body, which is a vasodilator and relaxes the blood vessels. Increased nitric oxide results in the relaxing of the blood vessels. This, in turn, results in a sudden and temporary drop in blood pressure. The body then tries to compensate for this drop by raising blood pressure. This process is thought to be a contributor to the development of hypertension caused by alcohol.

Is High Blood Pressure due to Alcohol Use Reversible?

“High blood pressure from drinking alcohol is reversible.” Barata says. 
“The first step is determining how significant your alcohol intake is and how to safely reduce your intake in terms of an inpatient or outpatient setting. The interval between alcohol abstinence and normalization of blood pressure will vary from patient to patient and their underlying medical condition. However, you can expect that your blood pressure will decrease over time ranging from weeks to even months with close follow-up with your physician. This will be essential in managing abstinence and monitoring your blood pressure while optimizing any underlying medical conditions that may have been present or developed due to long-term alcohol use.”

How Long After Quitting Drinking Will Blood Pressure Go Down?

A 2006 study published in Alcohol and Alcoholism assessed blood pressure during alcohol withdrawal for 147 detoxing patients daily for 18 days. This study found a sharp and sustained decrease in blood pressure once the patient moved through the peak of withdrawal symptoms.

On the first day of detox, blood pressure had increased in 55% of the patients and by day 18, blood pressure was elevated in only 21% of patients. Withdrawal symptoms typically peak around 48-72 hours and then begin to improve. By day 3 of withdrawal, only 36% of patients had high blood pressure. By day 5, the percentage of patients with severe hypertension, which is defined as blood pressure that is above 180/110, decreased from 6.3% on day 1 to 0.7%.

Reducing your intake or quitting drinking won’t always fix blood pressure issues. This is because heavy drinking is not the only cause of high blood pressure. Genetics, age, and weight are other factors that contribute to elevated blood pressure. If you find that your blood pressure is still elevated several months after the cessation of alcohol intake, then it is recommended to follow up with your doctor. 

Can I Drink Alcohol with High Blood Pressure?

For people with a history of hypertension, a mere ounce of alcohol has been linked to increased pressure on their hearts. 
“In patients who have cardiac risk factors, hypertension included, I generally advise less than one to two times per week, [or] at most two to four drinks per week, but ideally, less than that,” says David Ishizawar, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. “There is no ‘safe’ quantity of alcohol that an individual with chronic health problems can consume.”

Alcohol and Blood Pressure: Key Facts

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about half of U.S. adults have some form of high blood pressure or take blood pressure medications. 

Studies have found that binge drinking can cause a temporary increase in blood pressure that ranges from 4-7 mmHG for systolic blood pressure and 4-6 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure.

“Repeated alcohol consumption can lead to long-term blood pressure abnormalities, which can present health risks that need to be medically monitored [or] managed,” Ashley McGee, RN, Vice President of Nursing at Mountainside Alcohol and Drug Treatment Center in Connecticut, tells WebMD Connect to Care. 

Early hypertension usually doesn’t bring on noticeable symptoms, but in the absence of treatment, the condition can eventually lead to heart attack and stroke. 

Men are more likely than women to have high blood pressure, the CDC says.

As for binge drinking (defined by the CDC as four drinks in 2 hours for women and five drinks in 2 hours for men), younger men are more likely to experience high blood pressure from excess alcohol use than young women. But stroke risk can increase in men and women of all ages who binge drink regularly.  

Does Your Blood Pressure Go Up When You Quit Drinking?

It’s important to know how your body may react during the immediate aftermath of alcohol removal. For those with an alcohol addiction, blood pressure may be impacted.

“You can develop elevated blood pressure with long-term alcohol use after abstinence due to withdrawal effects.” explains Dr. Barata. “If someone with long-term alcohol use desires to reduce their intake, a physician will monitor the patient to avoid the side effects associated with alcohol withdrawal. If the patient has consistent long-term excessive alcohol use and dependence, they will require inpatient management for detoxification of alcohol.”

The severity of your withdrawal symptoms will depend on things like genetics, how much you drink, and how many years you have been drinking. Alcohol is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant, meaning that it slows down the functioning of the CNS. Because of this, the CNS may become hyperactive during withdrawal, especially in cases of severe alcohol addiction, resulting in symptoms such as:

• Rapid heart rate
• Increased body temperature
• Sweating
• Increased blood pressure

Alcohol Withdrawal and Blood Pressure

A number of factors will determine blood pressure changes during the withdrawal phase. 

“For some, their blood pressure will be elevated due to withdrawal and the stress it causes on the body to recover,” McGee says. “For others, blood pressure will be lowered due to sickness related to withdrawal symptoms. Managing a client’s blood pressure is something that is closely monitored by medical staff during a client’s detoxification period.” 

If you are concerned with withdrawing from alcohol safely, then it’s important to get medical supervision during detox. Doctors can help keep you comfortable during the process of withdrawal and make sure that you are safe from any dangerous withdrawal symptoms that may develop.
“Blood pressure will be closely monitored by physicians in an inpatient setting while prescribing certain medications that help prevent the development of the side effects associated with withdrawal, especially when reducing your alcohol intake at a rapid rate if your body is physiologically dependent on alcohol.  The side effects include elevated blood pressure as well as life-threatening symptoms such as seizures, and even heart attack or stroke depending on the patient's underlying medical conditions and dependence.” Barata explains.

Get Help With Problem Drinking 

High blood pressure is one of the many dangers of problem drinking. If you feel you have a problem with alcohol, WebMD Connect to Care Advisors are standing by to help.