Can people with high blood pressure drink medicinal alcohol?
Hypertensive patients should generally avoid medicinal alcohol to prevent adverse effects on health.
When a patient's blood pressure, measured multiple times without taking antihypertensive medication, is consistently ≥130/80 mmHg, a diagnosis of hypertension is typically confirmed. After such a diagnosis, patients should generally not consume medicinal alcohol. This is primarily because medicinal alcohol contains ethanol, which, once absorbed into the body, may increase capillary permeability and cause fluctuations in blood pressure, making it harder to control. Additionally, alcohol intake in hypertensive individuals may worsen atherosclerosis, thereby increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, hypertensive patients should generally avoid medicinal alcohol to prevent negative impacts on their health.
Hypertensive patients should adopt a healthy lifestyle, including a low-salt, low-fat, and low-sugar diet, actively quitting smoking and alcohol, maintaining regular sleep patterns, and managing emotional well-being. These measures can help control blood pressure and reduce the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke.