Associated Press
CHICAGO — Women who have a few alcoholic drinks a week have an almost 15 percent lower chance of developing high blood pressure than teetotalers, new research shows.
However, the study also found that consuming more than about 1 1/2drinks daily increases the high blood pressure risk by 30 percent compared with nondrinkers. The increased risk was associated equally with wine, beer and hard liquor.
The reduced risk among light drinkers appeared strongest with beer, said the authors, led by Dr. Ravi Thadhani of Harvard University Medical School.
The findings are based on 70,891 people ages 25 to 42 who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study, which tracked thousands of female nurses for a variety of studies.
Exercise and reducing salt intake are other ways to control blood pressure, and Thadhani said women should be wary of interpreting the findings to conclude that it’s a good idea to start drinking.
About 6 percent of participants — almost 4,200 — developed high blood pressure during eight years of follow-up.
The reduced risk was found in women who drank an average of one-quarter to one-half a drink daily, or two to three drinks a week. One drink equaled about a 12-ounce bottle of beer, a 4-ounce glass of wine or a little less than a shot of liquor.
How alcohol affects blood pressure is unclear, but one theory suggests that small amounts relax the blood vessels, easing blood flow, Thadhani said.
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