Hypertension and alcoholism

This study attempts to examine the hypotheses that elevated blood pressure among regular users of substantial amounts of alcohol may be related to either an acute direct effect of alcohol and/or to alcohol withdrawal. One hundred white, male, chronic alcoholics between the ages of 18 and 60, were monitored for blood pressure on admission and during detoxification from alcohol while in residential treatment. Thirty one percent of the subjects had blood pressure above 160 systolic and 95 diastolic on admission. This percentage declined as hospitalization progressed, to an eventual ten percent after one week. This reduction in the number of patients with high blood pressure seemed to be related primarily to abstinence from alcohol and could not be attributed to drugs or rest, since no drugs except vitamins were administered after the second day and all of the subjects were involved in physical activities. The analysis of our data suggests that the evaluation of the drinking habits of hypertensive patients is important since abstinence from alcohol could be a factor in controlling hypertension.