Does alcohol raise your blood pressure?

Does alcohol raise blood pressure?

Yes, if you drink a lot. The NHS lists drinking too much alcohol as something that raises your chances of high blood pressure. It advises no more than 14 units a week on a regular basis.

The proof is what happens when people cut down. Across 36 trials, people who drank more than 2 drinks a day saw their blood pressure fall when they cut back.

The biggest drop was in people on 6 or more drinks a day who cut by about half. Their top number (the first number in a reading like 140/90) fell by about 5.5 mmHg, the unit blood pressure is measured in.

A drink in those trials was 12 g of alcohol, about 1.5 UK units. So 2 drinks a day is about 21 units a week. At 2 a day or fewer, cutting down made no clear difference.

Not sure of your number? Add up a normal week with our alcohol units guide. Then get your blood pressure checked.

What does alcohol do to your heart rate and blood pressure?

It speeds up your heart and, for a while, lowers your blood pressure. A Cochrane review pooled 32 trials that gave people one dose of alcohol or a dummy drink.

That next-day rise is the catch. It works like a see-saw: down for about 12 hours, then up. So a reading the morning after a big night may sit above your usual.

Smaller drinks still sped up the heart. Under 14 g, which is under 2 units, raised heart rate by about 5 beats a minute. Blood pressure didn’t change.

Most people in these trials were healthy young men, so results may differ for women and people with heart conditions.

Checking at home? Write any drinks from the night before next to each reading. See how to check your blood pressure at home.

Why do I get heart palpitations after drinking?

It may be the drink itself. The NHS lists alcohol as a common cause of palpitations, and says they’re usually harmless.

Palpitations are when you notice your heartbeat. It may feel like it’s racing, pounding, fluttering or skipping beats.

Sometimes it’s a rhythm problem called atrial fibrillation (AF), where your heartbeat isn’t steady. Signs include an irregular pulse, or a heartbeat faster than 100 beats a minute.

Drinking less can help with AF too. In a trial of 140 regular drinkers with AF, AF came back within 6 months in 53% of those asked to stop. It came back in 73% of those who kept drinking.

Most of those asked to stop cut right down rather than stopping completely.

A GP may suggest an ECG, a test that checks your heart’s electrical signals. See blood tests for palpitations and heart racing at night.

Can drinking cause heart disease or heart failure?

Drinking too much can raise the risk. The NHS says more than 14 units a week over many years can increase your risk of stroke and heart disease.

What about a glass of red for your heart? The NHS says the idea that some alcohol is good for the heart has been revised. The evidence for it is weaker than people thought.

The NHS calls this dilated cardiomyopathy. Heart failure means your heart can’t pump blood properly. It doesn’t mean it has stopped.

You may be more at risk of heart failure if you drink a lot. Signs include breathlessness, feeling very tired, and swollen feet, ankles or legs. If you get them, see a GP.

How much should I cut down?

Start with the NHS level: no more than 14 units a week if you drink most weeks. That’s about 6 pints of average-strength beer.

Your numbers can move fast. In a UK study of moderate to heavy drinkers who chose a month off, blood pressure fell 6 to 7% after a month off.

Shaky, sweaty or sick when you go without a drink? Don’t stop suddenly. The NHS says that can be very dangerous if your body depends on alcohol.

Talk to a GP first. Call 999 if someone has severe withdrawal, such as shaking a lot, confusion, seeing or hearing things that aren’t there, or a seizure (fit). More in giving up alcohol and causes of high blood pressure.

When to speak to a GP

High blood pressure does not usually cause symptoms. Aged 40 or over? Many pharmacies offer a free check.

Book a GP appointment if:

• Your palpitations keep coming back, happen more often or last more than a few minutes, or you have a heart condition or heart problems in your family.
• You think you may have AF, such as a pulse that isn’t steady.
• Your blood pressure is 140/90 or higher at a surgery or pharmacy, or 135/85 or higher at home. That’s usually high.
• You get breathless, feel very tired, or your feet, ankles or legs swell.
• You’re worried about your drinking, or feel anxious, sweaty or sick when you try to stop.

Get an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if you’re breathless lying down or with everyday tasks. The same goes if you cough up frothy pink phlegm or suddenly gain weight.

Call 111 if you often get headaches or blurred vision, or chest pain that comes and goes.

Call 999 or go to A&E if palpitations don’t go away, or come with chest pain, shortness of breath, feeling faint or fainting. Call 999 for chest pain that doesn’t go away or spreads to your arm, neck, jaw, stomach or back. Also call 999 for chest pain with feeling sweaty, sick, light-headed or short of breath.

Call 999 if you have a fast or uneven heartbeat with chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating, or feeling or being sick. Also call 999 if it comes with fainting, dizziness, a severe headache, or blurred vision. The same goes for weakness or numbness on one side, confusion or trouble speaking.

Call 999 if you’re gasping or can’t get words out, your lips or skin turn pale, blue or grey, or someone passes out.