Regularly drinking alcohol outside of meals may significantly increase the risk of high blood pressure, according to University of Buffalo researchers.
The findings were based on blood pressure readings and self-reported alcohol consumption patterns from a randomly selected sample of 2,609 white men and women between the ages of 35 and 80 who took part in the Western New York Health Study.
In a computer-assisted, in-person interview, participants provided data on their alcohol consumption during the past 30 days. Questions covered how often they drank during that time period, when they drank (weekdays versus weekends), how much they drank (drinks per day) and if they drank with meals, with snacks or without food. They also reported whether they drank mostly beer, wine or liquor.
Results confirmed findings of a previous study conducted in Italy by some of the same researchers and also showed for the first time that even light to moderate alcohol intake outside of meals puts drinkers at risk for hypertension.
Those drinking mostly outside of mealtimes were found to have a significant increase in risk of hypertension compared with either lifetime abstainers or those drinking mostly with food.
Not surprisingly, results confirmed that a high level of alcohol consumption -- defined as more than two drinks per day -- is associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure.
There was no difference in risk based on the type of alcohol consumed, or the gender of drinkers.
Results of the study appear in the December issue of the journal Hypertension. "These findings support the notion that in addition to amount, the way in which alcohol is consumed may have important implications for health and, in particular, for cardiovascular disease," said lead researcher Dr. Saverio Stranges.
"This is a novel finding with potentially important clinical implications," said Stranges. "It points out that drinking without food may counteract any benefit to the cardiovascular system associated with moderate alcohol consumption."
