The Study
Effects of alcohol moderation on blood pressure and intracellular cations in mild essential hypertension.
This study noticed that when people with high blood pressure drank less alcohol, their blood pressure sometimes went down and their body chemicals changed. But it didn't test if alcohol was the real reason—maybe they ate better or slept more too.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
When people with slightly high blood pressure drank less alcohol, their blood pressure went down and the levels of certain minerals in their blood cells changed too.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 520 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1A 5.5 mm Hg drop in blood pressure is meaningful—it’s similar to the effect of some blood pressure medications.
- 2Blood pressure dropped by about 5.5 mm Hg.
- 3Inside red blood cells, sodium went down and potassium went up when alcohol was cut in half.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
American journal of hypertension
Year
1995
Authors
S. Hsieh, Komei Saito, T. Miyajima, Chi-mo Lin, M. Yokoyama
Related Content
Claims (4)
When people who drink six or more units of alcohol per day cut their intake in half, their systolic blood pressure drops by about 5.5 mm Hg.
In people with mild high blood pressure, reducing alcohol intake is linked to simultaneous changes in sodium levels inside red blood cells and changes in blood pressure.
When people with mild high blood pressure drink less alcohol, their average blood pressure goes down, and the levels of magnesium and sodium inside their cells change.
In people with mild high blood pressure, reducing alcohol intake is linked to higher potassium levels inside cells and lower sodium levels inside red blood cells.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.