Alcohol and hypertension: Does it matter? Yes

Journal of Cardiovascular Risk

Volumn 10, Issue 1, 2003, Pages 21-24

  Klatsky, Arthur L ^a  

^a KAISER PERMANENTE MEDICAL CENTER   (United States)

Author keywords

Alcohol drinking; Epidemiology; Hypertension; Risk factors

Indexed keywords

ALCOHOL;

ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION; HEART FAILURE; HUMAN; HYPERTENSION; ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE; KIDNEY FAILURE; PRIORITY JOURNAL; REVIEW; RISK FACTOR; STROKE; DRINKING BEHAVIOR; EPIDEMIOLOGY; PATHOPHYSIOLOGY; BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORING; CARDIOVASCULAR RISK; EMPIRICISM; OBSERVATION;

ALCOHOL DRINKING; CAUSALITY; HUMANS; HYPERTENSION; RISK FACTORS;

EID: 0037293847     PISSN: 13506277     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1097/00043798-200302000-00005     Document Type: Review

References (30)

1. Lian C. L'alcoholisme cause d'hypertension arterielle. Bull Acad Med (Paris) 1915; 74:525-528.** Of great historic interest, this is almost surely the first published description of the alcohol-HTN relation. In French career soldiers, the data showed a threshold relation to HTN starting with 'grand buveurs' (heavy drinkers), defined as drinkers of ≥ 1 l of wine/day). The report was apparently ignored for the next 60 years.
2. Klatsky AL, Friedman GD, Siegelaub AB, Gerard MJ. Alcohol consumption and blood pressure. N Engl J Med 1977; 296:1194-2000.* This was one of the first large modern cross-sectional analyses of the alcohol-HTN relation. The data showed in three racial groups, a threshold relation in men and a J-curve in women, which was independent of confounders by direct cross-classification. As in most studies reported in the past 25 years, the threshold for increased HTN risk was found at ≥ 3 drinks/day.
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30. Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. The Sixth Report of the Joint National Committee (JNC VI). Arch Int Med 1997; 167:2413-2446.** This is probably the most authoritative available summation of the status of HTN. It represents the consensus of leading experts, The guidelines set forth are widely used.