Even just 1 alcoholic drink per day may increase blood pressure 

Why the safest amount of alcohol to drink might be none at all. 

A recent review of seven studies published in the journal Hypertension covering more than 19,000 adults from the U.S., Korea, and Japan found that consuming 1 alcoholic drink per day for more than four years is associated with a rise in blood pressure, even if a person previously had healthy blood pressure numbers. Significantly, none of the people in the study had previously been diagnosed with high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, liver disease, or alcoholism. A drink is defined as a 12-ounce can of beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, or a 1.5-ounce shot glass of hard liquor. In people who drank an average of 12 grams of alcohol per day—equivalent to slightly less than one standard alcoholic drink—systolic blood pressure rose 1.25 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) over five years. In people who drank an average of 48 grams of alcohol per day, about 4 drinks, systolic blood pressure rose a more pronounced 4.9 mmHg over the study period. Diastolic blood pressure rose 1.14 mmHg over the study period in men who drank an average of 12 grams of alcohol per day, and 3.1 mmHg in men who drank an average of 48 grams of alcohol per day, but this association was not found in women. Diastolic blood pressure measurements are not considered as strong a predictor of cardiovascular disease as systolic measurements. The study also found that alcohol caused a greater blood pressure rise in those who started with higher resting blood pressure. It’s believed that alcohol exposure causes a rise in adrenaline and cortisol, which can constrict arteries to raise blood pressure. But what is not known is whether the rises in blood pressure resulting from the smaller intakes of alcohol would subsequently lead to an uptick in heart attacks and strokes over time.

Want to learn more? Alcohol Health Risks