How does beer affect blood pressure

Drinking less alcohol lowers your blood pressure. Get your blood pressure checked regularly so that you can get treatment if you need it. Alcohol also causes other problems that can lead to strokes, or makes them worse. For example, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, and weakened heart muscle. Long-term heavy drinking can cause the heart muscles to weaken. This is called alcoholic cardiomyopathy.

If the blood flow to other parts of your body is not enough, it can damage organs and tissues. Alcohol can make the heart beat too quickly, or irregularly. Individuals who drink alcohol in excess can help improve their overall health by stopping drinking. For some people, this can be an easy process. However, people who are dependent on alcohol or have been misusing alcohol for a long period of time may have difficulty quitting.

Some of the symptoms associated with alcohol withdrawal include:. Individuals who do not experience withdrawal symptoms will likely see the positive effects of giving up alcohol shortly after doing so. Some of the beneficial effects of avoiding alcohol include:. If a person thinks that they might be consuming alcohol at a rate that would classify as moderate drinking, heavy drinking, or binge drinking, they should consider cutting back to improve their overall health and well-being.

Consuming alcohol can increase the risk of high blood pressure and other metabolic conditions in several ways. For example, alcohol can affect calcium levels, cortisol levels, and baroreceptor sensitivity, all of which can lead to increases in blood pressure.

To prevent various health complications, including high blood pressure, people should try to limit their alcohol consumption to one or two glasses infrequently. If a person has concerns that they or someone they know might have a dependency on alcohol, they should seek professional advice and support as soon as they can.

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is the cluster of symptoms that may develop when someone who is alcohol dependent suddenly stops drinking. Alcohol affects…. Although alcohol does not contain cholesterol, its consumption can have a negative impact on cholesterol levels through increased sugar levels and….

Drinking alcohol can affect weight loss attempts because alcoholic beverages are often high in calories and low in nutritional value. Learn more here. We regularly hear about raised blood pressure, or hypertension - but what exactly is our blood pressure, and why is it important? Also find out what…. Understanding blood pressure readings can be confusing if a person does not know what the numbers mean. This article explains the numbers in more…. What to know about alcohol and blood pressure.

Medically reviewed by Deborah Weatherspoon, Ph. Blood Pressure Toolkit. Can excess alcohol affect your blood pressure? Preventing high blood pressure Limiting alcohol consumption can also help to prevent high blood pressure. If you need help If cutting back on alcohol is hard for you to do on your own, ask your healthcare provider about getting help. In fact, many people may not know they have it.

This is because high blood pressure very rarely causes any obvious symptoms until a serious acute event such as a heart attack or stroke. You can have this done at your GP surgery, some local pharmacies, at your NHS Health Check or you can buy a reliable blood pressure monitor from the pharmacist. Are you drinking too much? Take our self-assessment. However, there are several factors that can play a part in increasing the risks of developing hypertension, including:.

The UK Chief Medical Officers' CMO low risk drinking guidelines advise that people should not regularly drink more than more than 14 units a week to keep health risks from alcohol low. If you do choose to drink, it is best to spread your drinks throughout the week. Our free MyDrinkaware app can tell you if you're drinking too much. It can even help you cut down. Download the app.