Can patients with hypertension consume medicinal liquor?

Patients with hypertension are advised against consuming medicinal liquor. Medicinal liquor contains alcohol, which disrupts vascular function and offers no blood pressure–lowering benefits; even small amounts impose an added burden on the body. If dizziness or palpitations occur after drinking alcohol, prompt medical evaluation and blood pressure monitoring are essential.

Medicinal liquor is typically prepared by steeping herbal ingredients in distilled spirits (baijiu). Upon ingestion, alcohol initially causes transient vasodilation, followed by vasoconstriction—leading to marked fluctuations in blood pressure. Alcohol also increases cardiac workload and elevates the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. Furthermore, herbal components in medicinal liquor may interact with antihypertensive medications, interfering with overall disease management.

Some individuals, misled by claims that medicinal liquor can “regulate” health, discontinue prescribed antihypertensive medications without medical guidance and rely solely on medicinal liquor—resulting in uncontrolled blood pressure. Effective hypertension management requires long-term adherence to prescribed antihypertensive therapy, combined with dietary modifications and lifestyle adjustments to maintain stable blood pressure. For those seeking traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)–based treatment, consultation with qualified healthcare professionals and evidence-based TCM therapies—not self-administered medicinal liquor—is essential.

In daily life, prioritize drinking plain water, avoid all alcoholic beverages, maintain regular sleep–wake cycles, minimize emotional stress, engage consistently in outdoor physical activity, and support vascular elasticity to reduce the likelihood of significant blood pressure fluctuations.