People with a genetic mutation that makes it difficult to consume alcohol had significantly lower blood pressure than regular or heavy drinkers, the researchers found.

Advertisement

People without the mutation who had about 3 drinks per day had "strikingly" higher blood pressure than people with the genetic change who tended to drink only small amounts or nothing at all.

"This study shows that alcohol intake may increase blood pressure to a much greater extent, even among moderate drinkers, than previously thought," Sarah Lewis, a researcher at the University of Bristol's Department of Social Medicine, and colleagues wrote in their report published in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Medicine.

Two-fold risk for drinkers
The researchers said there was more than a two-fold risk for high blood pressure among drinkers and a 70 percent increased risk for "quite modest" drinkers compared to people with the genetic mutation.

High blood pressure, which affects more than a billion adults worldwide, can lead to stroke, heart failure, heart attack and kidney failure.

Previous studies have linked heavy drinking with high blood pressure while others have suggested that moderate alcohol intake provides health benefits such as lower cholesterol.

The genetic mutation is common in some Asian populations and discourages drinking because alcohol triggers facial flushing, nausea, drowsiness, headache and other unpleasant symptoms.

Comparing people with the mutation and volunteers without the genetic variation helped the researchers better gauge long-term effects of drinking, they said.

"Reporting of alcohol (in other studies) is likely to be subject to considerable error, and this error may be differential - for example, people who have been advised to reduce alcohol intake for medical reasons may under-report alcohol intake," the researchers wrote. - (Reuters Health)

Read more:
Drinking ups blood pressure
Hypertension Centre

March 2008
 

Print this article on

Rate this article Poor 1 2 3 4 5 Excellent

JOBS

Operations Manager R20,000-25,000 Per Month Cost To Company Incl Benefits Gauteng - East Rand Financial Accountant: CA(SA) R400,000-500,000 Per Annum Cost To Company Gauteng - Johannesburg Key Account Manager Gauteng Java Developer-CT Western Cape - Cape Town Java Developer-Jozi Gauteng Account Manager R460,000-540,000 Per Annum Cost To Company Plus Benefits Gauteng Account Manager R460,000-540,000 Per Annum Market Related Plus Benefits South Africa Case Manager R210,000-220,000 Per Annum Negotiable Gauteng - Pretoria Find more jobs Register your CV Post a job