Role of alcohol in the aetiology of hypertension

Abstract

Hypertension is a common condition facing medical practitioners on a day-to-day basis, yet much is to be learnt regarding its cause. Excess alcohol intake has been recognized by clinicians as a causal factor on an anecdotal basis for many years now. Little evidence for this has been provided from statistical analysis of formal studies. On this basis, a study was undertaken in a population of 85 adult males to see if any correlations could be drawn between alcohol intake and standard blood pressure readings, taking into account as many other variables as possible which may contribute to blood pressure, such as age, body weight and smoking habits. In this study, a statistically significant relationship between alcohol intake and blood pressure is demonstrated, indicating a need for further investigation in this field.