Heart Disease and Alcohol: Is Drinking Safe?

Alcohol raises the level of a hormone called renin, which both narrows blood vessels and decreases urination, thereby increasing blood pressure.

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 Alcohol can also raise sympathetic nervous system activity, your body’s fight-or-flight response, and increase cortisol production, further contributing to higher blood pressure, says Rosy Thachil, MD, a cardiologist with NYC Health + Hospitals in Elmhurst, New York.

Moderate alcohol consumption is associated with higher systolic blood pressure (the top number on a blood pressure reading that measures the force with which your blood pushes against your arteries). Those who drink about one standard drink per day tend to have a 1.25 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) higher systolic blood pressure reading than nondrinkers, and those who drink about three drinks per day tend to have a 5 mmHg higher systolic blood pressure reading than nondrinkers.

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 That variance may seem small, but even minor reductions in blood pressure through lifestyle changes can make a meaningful difference in one’s risk for heart problems.