TY - JOUR
T1 - Alcohol consumption and ambulatory blood pressure
T2 - A community-based study in an elderly cohort
AU - Jaubert, Marie Perrine
AU - Jin, Zhezhen
AU - Russo, Cesare
AU - Schwartz, Joseph E.
AU - Homma, Shunichi
AU - Elkind, Mitchell S.V.
AU - Rundek, Tatjana
AU - Sacco, Ralph L.
AU - Di Tullio, Marco R.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by grants from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01 NS36286 to Marco R. Di Tullio; R37 NS29993 to Ralph L. Sacco and Mitchell S.V. Elkind). Dr. Jaubert has been supported by a grant from the French Society of Cardiology. The authors wish to thank Janet De Rosa, MPH, for the coordination of the study; and Rui Lui, MD, Rafi Cabral, MD, and Palma Gervasi-Franklin for their help in the collection and management of the data.
PY - 2014/5/1
Y1 - 2014/5/1
N2 - BACKGROUND Although heavy alcohol consumption is associated with hypertension, the impact of lighter consumption on blood pressure (BP) is controversial. The protective effect of light alcohol consumption on cardiovascular disease described in previous studies could be, in part, mediated by effects of alcohol on BP. However, only a few studies investigating the association between alcohol and BP included elderly subjects, despite their higher risk of hypertension sequelae. Accordingly, we evaluated the relationship between alcohol consumption and 24-hour ambulatory BP in a community-based elderly cohort. METHODS Among the participants in the Cardiac Abnormalities and Brain Lesion study, 553 subjects (mean age = 70.6±9.6 years) who underwent 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring were examined. Alcohol consumption was categorized as (i) none (reference; <1 drink/month); (ii) very light consumption (1 drink/month to 1 drink/week); (iii) light consumption (2 drinks/week to 1 drink/day); (iv) moderate-to-heavy consumption (>1 drink/day). Former drinkers were excluded. RESULTS After adjustment for relevant covariables, mean values of daytime diastolic BP (DBP), nighttime DBP, and 24-hour DBP were significantly higher in moderate-to-heavy drinkers than in the reference group, whereas systolic BP parameters were not significantly different across consumption groups. Daytime systolic BP and DBP variability (SD of the measurements) were significantly lower in very light drinkers than in the reference group, independent of potential confounders. CONCLUSIONS Moderate-to-heavy alcohol consumption was associated with higher DBP values. Very light alcohol consumption was associated with reduced daytime BP variability. The latter association may contribute to the known beneficial cardiovascular effects of light alcohol consumption.
AB - BACKGROUND Although heavy alcohol consumption is associated with hypertension, the impact of lighter consumption on blood pressure (BP) is controversial. The protective effect of light alcohol consumption on cardiovascular disease described in previous studies could be, in part, mediated by effects of alcohol on BP. However, only a few studies investigating the association between alcohol and BP included elderly subjects, despite their higher risk of hypertension sequelae. Accordingly, we evaluated the relationship between alcohol consumption and 24-hour ambulatory BP in a community-based elderly cohort. METHODS Among the participants in the Cardiac Abnormalities and Brain Lesion study, 553 subjects (mean age = 70.6±9.6 years) who underwent 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring were examined. Alcohol consumption was categorized as (i) none (reference; <1 drink/month); (ii) very light consumption (1 drink/month to 1 drink/week); (iii) light consumption (2 drinks/week to 1 drink/day); (iv) moderate-to-heavy consumption (>1 drink/day). Former drinkers were excluded. RESULTS After adjustment for relevant covariables, mean values of daytime diastolic BP (DBP), nighttime DBP, and 24-hour DBP were significantly higher in moderate-to-heavy drinkers than in the reference group, whereas systolic BP parameters were not significantly different across consumption groups. Daytime systolic BP and DBP variability (SD of the measurements) were significantly lower in very light drinkers than in the reference group, independent of potential confounders. CONCLUSIONS Moderate-to-heavy alcohol consumption was associated with higher DBP values. Very light alcohol consumption was associated with reduced daytime BP variability. The latter association may contribute to the known beneficial cardiovascular effects of light alcohol consumption.
KW - alcohol
KW - ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
KW - blood pressure
KW - blood pressure variability
KW - hypertension.
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U2 - 10.1093/ajh/hpt235
DO - 10.1093/ajh/hpt235
M3 - Article
C2 - 24363276
AN - SCOPUS:84898912372
VL - 27
SP - 688
EP - 694
JO - American Journal of Hypertension
JF - American Journal of Hypertension
SN - 0895-7061
IS - 5
ER -