Cross-sectional study of beer consumption and blood pressure in middle-aged men

Alcohol consumption in the week prior to examination was assessed in 352 men (average age 52.5 years) selected randomly from a cohort of employees of an industrial plant. Men drinking more than 350 g ethanol per week, largely in the form of a local beer, did not differ in respect of BP but they smoked more cigarettes and had lower serum magnesium levels and immunoreactive insulin levels than the rest of the sample. In a multiple linear (step-wise) regression analysis, body mass index, age, immunoreactive insulin two hours after glucose load and serum total cholesterol contributed directly to the BP value but the weekly ethanol intake did not. Smoking contributed negatively to the BP value after an a priori exclusion of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, magnesium and results of glucose tolerance tests. Only immunoreactive insulin and age were related significantly to ethanol consumption. No significant association of alcohol consumption with BP was found.