Alcohol Consumption and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality in Hypertensive Men

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Abstract
A recently published American Heart Association Science advisory states that"patients who are hypertensive should avoid alcoholic beverages."1 In contrast, earlier American Heart Association dietary guidelines2 and a statement from the Sixth Report of the Joint National Committee on the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC VI)3 recommends limiting alcohol intake to no more than 2 drinks per day for men, and 1 drink per day for women, for the prevention and treatment of hypertension. Heavy alcohol consumption has been shown in observational studies to have a strong positive association with elevated blood pressure.4-6 Clinical trials7,8 have demonstrated that reduction in alcohol intake among individuals who drink heavily (ie, 3 or more drinks per day) can lower blood pressure in normotensive and hypertensive men.