Drinking habit as a base for blood pressure elevation--difference in epidemiological significance by beverage type

To investigate whether blood pressure differs by taking preferred alcoholic beverage among habitual drinkers, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) were compared among groups with different beverage types in 563 middle-aged Japanese males using data from a cross-sectional health survey conducted from February, 1989 through March, 1991 in five areas of Japan. Mean values of SBP and DBP, adjusted for residence, age and body mass index (BMI), were significantly greater in 'exclusively sake' drinkers (adjusted SBP: 127.2 mmHg, adjusted DBP: 83.0 mmHg) and in 'exclusively shochu' drinkers (adjusted SBP: 127.5 mmHg, adjusted DBP: 84.2 mmHg) than in non-drinkers (adjusted SBP: 120.9 mmHg, adjusted DBP: 77.3 mmHg). Adjusted SBP and DBP of 'exclusively beer' drinkers (adjusted SBP: 121.9 mmHg, adjusted DBP: 79.1 mmHg) were significantly (for SBP: p = 0.016, for DBP: p = 0.008) lower than those of 'exclusively sake' drinkers. Similar patterns of blood pressure differences between five beverage types of habitual drinkers were found especially in the group with less than 150 g of weekly ethyl-alcohol consumption. Even after adding ethyl-alcohol consumption as a covariate among 479 habitual drinkers, the significant differences in adjusted SBP and DBP between 'exclusively beer' drinkers and 'exclusively sake' drinkers (for SBP: p = 0.032, for DBP: p = 0.044) were noted. These results may suggest that the effects of drinking on blood pressure differ by beverage type in middle-aged Japanese males.