Drinking alcohol regularly can increase your risk of hypertension (high blood pressure). In the short term, a small amount of alcohol may not affect your blood pressure, but a large amount can raise it.
The effects of alcohol on blood pressure can vary depending on:
- the amount you consume
- whether you consume it regularly
- individual factors, including sex and race
- whether you currently have hypertension (high blood pressure)
Keep reading to learn how alcohol can affect your blood pressure and cardiovascular health and which other factors may play a role.
The authors of a 2020 research review examined the short-term effects of alcohol on healthy people over 18 years old within 6 hours of consumption.
The results suggested that drinking a small amount of alcohol (14 grams [g]) may not affect blood pressure, drinking a medium amount (14 to 28 g) may even lower it slightly, and drinking a large amount (30 g or more) can raise it.
All amounts caused an increase in heart rate within 6 hours of consumption.
In the United States, a standard drink is about 14 grams (or 0.6 fluid ounces) of pure alcohol, which is the amount of alcohol in:
- a 12-ounce (oz) can of regular beer at 5% alcohol by volume (ABV)
- a 5-oz glass of wine at 12% ABV
- a 1.5-oz shot glass of distilled spirits at 40% ABV
Drinking a larger amount of alcohol (30 g) affected blood pressure in a few ways over a 24-hour period:
- Within 6 hours of drinking it: decreased systolic blood pressure by 3.5 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and diastolic blood pressure by 1.9 mm Hg
- Within 7 to 12 hours of drinking it: decreased systolic blood pressure by 3.7 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by 1.7 mm Hg
- 13 hours after drinking it: increased systolic blood pressure by 3.7 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by 2.4 mm Hg
The stages of hypertension differ from one another by ranges of 10 mm Hg.
More research is needed on the specific effects of short-term alcohol use on blood pressure in women and people with other health conditions. But a 2021 review suggests that alcohol may have a greater effect on blood pressure in women than in men and a greater effect in Black people than in white or Asian people.
How long is blood pressure raised after drinking alcohol?
A high dose of alcohol typically raises your blood pressure for about 24 hours after you drink it.
Regularly drinking alcohol can increase your risk of hypertension.
A 2021 review found that in women, drinking even a moderate amount of alcohol can increase the risk of hypertension.
The American Heart Association recommends that men consume no more than two alcoholic drinks per day and that women consume no more than one per day. However, this is the maximum recommendation, and drinking less than this may have health benefits.
You should talk with a doctor about alcohol consumption, especially if you have other health conditions, such as diabetes.
Drinking large amounts of alcohol daily can lead to dependence. This means you may experience withdrawal symptoms if you stop abruptly.
Alcohol use is also associated with certain health conditions that may further increase your risk of hypertension, such as obstructive sleep apnea and possibly kidney disease.
While past research has suggested a potential benefit of regularly consuming a small amount of alcohol each day, newer research has called those findings into question and noted that more studies are still needed.
The authors of a 2020 review suggest that there isn’t enough evidence to say that small amounts of alcohol have a cardioprotective effect.
Researchers have pointed out that the potential benefits of wine consumption on heart health may result from other lifestyle factors that are common among people who drink wine, such as their dietary habits or physical activity levels. While additional studies are needed, researchers do not recommend drinking wine or other forms of alcohol to promote heart health.
You can support your heart health through methods that are backed by more research, such as:
Regular moderate alcohol use of 30 g per day can significantly increase your risk of hypertension, and drinking alcohol regularly can have other negative effects on your heart.
If you currently have high blood pressure, a doctor may recommend reducing your alcohol intake or avoiding alcohol altogether.
A 2023 review suggests that there’s a significant blood pressure benefit to reducing alcohol use or avoiding it altogether. However, more research is needed to better understand the effect size in different populations.
A 2022 review suggests that alcohol use at any level can increase blood pressure and that reductions in alcohol use at any level are associated with decreases in systolic blood pressure. However, the authors point to the need for more studies that reflect real-world treatment settings for alcohol use.
For men, drinking about two standard drinks can increase blood pressure in the short term. For women, the number of drinks necessary to produce this effect may be lower.
In all people, regular alcohol use is associated with high blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, a doctor may recommend reducing your alcohol intake or stopping altogether.
If you’re considering reducing your alcohol intake, you may want to try some alcohol alternatives.