In a study from Wake Forest School of Medicine, scientists found that drinking alcohol could increase high blood pressure in people with type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way the body processes blood sugar. With type 2 diabetes, the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin, or resists insulin.
Previous research has found that heavy alcohol drinking has a strong link with high blood pressure. However, whether moderate alcohol drinking has a similar health effect is unclear.
In the study, the team aimed to examine the association of alcohol drinking with high blood pressure in people with type 2 diabetes.
They analyzed data from 10,200 people in the ACCORD (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes) trial.
They categorized alcohol drinking as none, light (1–7 drinks/week), moderate (8–14 drinks/week), and heavy (≥15 drinks/week).
The researchers found that light alcohol drinking was not linked to increased blood pressure or any stage of high blood pressure.
But moderate alcohol drinking was linked to increased blood pressure, stage 1, and stage 2 high blood pressure.
Heavy alcohol drinking was linked to increased blood pressure, stage 1, and stage 2 high blood pressure.
These findings suggest that moderate alcohol drinking is linked to high blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes and increased heart disease risk.
The researchers also found a dose‐risk association between the amount of alcohol and the degree of high blood pressure. This means the more alcohol patients drink, the higher blood pressure they have.
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For more information about blood pressure health, please read studies that cherry concentrate could lower blood pressure as much as drugs, and 3 grams of omega-3s a day keep high blood pressure at bay.
The research was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association and conducted by Jonathan J. Mayl et al.
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