Both Beer, Red Wine Raise Blood Pressure

webmd.com ^ | April 18, 2005 | Michael Smith, MD

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April 18, 2005 -- Beer and red wine can raise your blood pressure, but researchers say alcohol is still heart healthy in the right amount.

It's well known that alcohol can raise blood pressure, blood pressure, but it's been unclear if different types of alcohol have the same effect, says Renate R. Zilkens, PhD, research fellow in the School of Medicine and Pharmacology at the University of Western Australia.

Red Wine vs. Beer

Zilkens and colleagues wanted to see if the antioxidant chemicals in red wine red wine could offset some of the blood pressure effects of alcohol. So they compared it with beer.

The researchers divided 24 healthy men into four different groups for four weeks:

• Some men drank no wine or beer and served as a comparison group
• Some men drank 13 ounces of red wine daily
• Some men drank 13 ounces of red wine with the alcohol removed to see if the alcohol accounted for any blood pressure effect
• Some men drank 38 ounces of beer daily (just over three beers)

The men made no other changes in their lifestyle other than limiting tea to less than 2 cups a day (since tea can also raise blood pressure) and avoiding antioxidants (to avoid any potential effect on blood vessels).

The men wore blood pressure and heart rate monitors 24 hours a day.

Blood Pressure, Heart Rate Climb

Compared with the men who did not drink any alcohol, the red wine drinkers had a nearly a 2.5 point jump in their systolic blood pressure. Beer drinkers' blood pressure rose nearly two points.

Systolic blood pressure is the top number of a blood pressure reading. It measures the pressure in blood vessels when the heart pumps.

While this doesn't sound like much, even a few points can make a difference in people who have borderline or high blood pressure. Ideally, blood pressure should be less than 120/80. Blood pressure between 120/80 and 140/90 is called prehypertension.prehypertension.

Heart rate also rose. The researchers tested heart rate during sleep to rule out any effect of activity. Red wine drinkers' heart rate climbed five points for eight to 10 hours after drinking. Beer drinkers' heart rate rose four points.

Removing alcohol from the red wine did not lower the blood pressure.

The researchers say that the blood pressure effects of red wine and beer appear to be similar.

Since the men in the study did not have high blood pressure, it's unclear how these findings apply to people who do. The study appears in the new issue of Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

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Part two tommorrow.

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Click to be added!

[sourcery]

So, if you want to raise your blood pressure, you can either watch CNN or drink a beer. I think I'll have a beer.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

That's odd. I find NOT getting wine raises my blood pressure ;-)

[theDentist]

I knew this when I was a kid and my Grandmothers (both sides of families) were both banned from even sipping wine for fear of BP rising. They had to waste money for a study to come up with the same results they had 30 years ago?

[Zuben Elgenubi]

[Jokelahoma]

Odd.. I find having to deal with pretentious wine drinkers raises my blood pressure almost exactly the same as dealing with those who drink "Bud" and think they're drinking beer. Or those who come to a bar with 99 taps from all over the world and order "Miller Lite, bottle"..Then again, it's probably good I wasn't a test case...

[ArmyBratproud]

I'd read this....but I have drank too much of a heart healthy diet tonight....so I am having trouble seE!ng th_ L3^teRs......

[k omalley]

A 2.5 point rise in systolic blood pressure? So if ordinarily someone's BP is 120/70 it would rise to 122.5/70? Doesn't seem like such a big deal to me and certainly not bad enough to give up red wine.

[quantim]

LOL. We all know high blood pressure is not necessarily a good thing, but compared to NO blood pressure, it's a beautiful thing.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

I'll take my meds and my beer...........;^)

[CurlyBill]

I just read an article saying the opposite for red wine. One study says it's good, another says it's bad. One study says it will increase your blood pressure, one study says it may help decrease blood pressure. One study says that moderate drinking can lower your risk of heart disease and another says that it can increase your risks of heart disease.

I just don't pay attention to these things anymore.

[Leo Carpathian]

all the alkoholecs need medicul insurance and free blood peels

[sierrahome]

I used to drink...a lot. At 40 my BP really began to rise and my pant size went from a 34 to a 42 over 10 years.

In one day I quit smoking completely and drinking to any excess (now about 3 glasses of wine in a month). I am 48 with low BP size 36 and I walk 5 miles every day.

My wife is too pretty to be married to a fat lush with high blood pressure

[fivekid]

I'll take my meds and my beer...........;^)

I'm with you......:)

Was traing my pups and got thrown down a window well...

Broke my ribs.

[yooper]

"The researchers divided 24 healthy men into four different groups for four weeks:"

Now there's a data population we can draw some concrete conclusions from. 24 men out of 150 million men in the US!.

FER CRYIN' OUT LOUD! Will someone make up their mind and tell me what to drink already!

The store closes in less than three hours.

[Clemenza]

You'll have to pry the Pinot Noir and India Pale Ale from my COLD DEAD HANDS!

[toothfairy86]

I have very low blood pressure. Maybe I should drink more AND watch CNN!

[yooper]

"My wife is too pretty to be married to a fat lush with high blood pressure."

She sure is;)

[fivekid]

LOL!!!