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(Hypertension. 2006;47:1035.)
© 2006 American Heart Association, Inc.

Hypertension Highlights

Alcohol and Hypertension

An Update

From the Royal Perth Hospital Unit (L.J.B.), School of Medicine & Pharmacology, and the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry and Health Sciences (I.B.P.), University of Western Australia, Australia.

Correspondence to Lawrence J. Beilin, Professor of Medicine, Royal Perth Hospital Unit, School of Medicine & Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Level 4, Medical Research Foundation Bldg, Rear, 50 Murray St, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. E-mail Lawrie.Beilin@uwa.edu.au

An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

	Introduction

 
Given the social significance of alcohol worldwide it is not surprising that there is continuing strong interest in the relation between alcohol and hypertension. Recent research continues to address unresolved questions concerning the balance between the medical hazards and the cardiovascular benefits of alcohol, the possible significance of different types of beverage, the role of different drinking patterns for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and mechanisms underlying the pressor effects of ethanol. These issues all need to be considered in the context of social aspects of drinking and effects on noncardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Epidemiologic data relating the type or quantity of alcohol consumption to blood pressure or cardiovascular disease needs to be viewed with circumspection from a number of viewpoints. First, heavier drinkers or problems drinkers are far less likely to participate in surveys than others. Second, alcohol consumption past or present is notoriously underreported. Third, drinking patterns are difficult to quantify and often not reported at all. The type, quantity, and pattern of drinking are all highly correlated with socioeconomic and other lifestyle behaviors,¹ many of which may not be measured or not measured accurately enough for adequate adjustments in statistical models. A relation between average weekly alcohol consumption, blood pressure level, and hypertension prevalence has been consistent worldwide and continues to be studied in different populations to evaluate its contribution in relation to other risk factors. However, because of the above issues some caveats should be put on interpretation of data where authors emphatically imply causal relationships from . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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