Hypertension: How just 1 alcohol drink a day may affect blood pressure
One area of interest is how the consumption of alcohol impacts blood pressure. However, even drinking small amounts of alcohol may contribute to high blood pressure. “Alcohol is certainly not the sole driver of increases in blood pressure; however, our findings confirm it contributes in a meaningful way. Limiting alcohol intake is advised, and avoiding it is even better,” Vinceti said. Drinking more than one or two drinks in a sitting has been directly linked to a rapid rise in blood pressure, which in someone with very high levels of hypertension can lead to stroke. To understand how much alcohol is too much, it may be helpful to know what excessive drinking means. Diastolic blood pressure is the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats. The vagus nerve is a component of the parasympathetic nervous system and is largely responsible for regulation of the heart rate at rest. One study found…