A large new Japanese study suggests that middle aged men who drink heavily could see their blood pressure rise, regardless of whether their levels of "good" cholesterol also go up.
Study author Ichiro Wakabayashi also found that the older men who participated all in their 50s were more susceptible to the blood pressure-boosting effects of heavy drinking than younger men.
While there are signs that drinking can be good for the heart and boost good cholesterol levels, "this emphasizes that alcohol is not for everyone," said Kenneth Mukamal, M.D., an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who is familiar with the study findings.
"This really fits well with the observation that the risk of stroke which is more sensitive to blood pressure than heart attack is not really substantially lower in moderate drinkers," Mukamal said. According to him, an increase in blood pressure might eliminate any benefit from higher levels of good cholesterol.
Wakabayashi, of the Hyogo College of Medicine in Japan, launched the study to explore whether high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol which is thought to protect the heart from disease might play a role in how drinking affects blood pressure in men.
Study author Ichiro Wakabayashi also found that the older men who participated all in their 50s were more susceptible to the blood pressure-boosting effects of heavy drinking than younger men.
While there are signs that drinking can be good for the heart and boost good cholesterol levels, "this emphasizes that alcohol is not for everyone," said Kenneth Mukamal, M.D., an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who is familiar with the study findings.
"This really fits well with the observation that the risk of stroke which is more sensitive to blood pressure than heart attack is not really substantially lower in moderate drinkers," Mukamal said. According to him, an increase in blood pressure might eliminate any benefit from higher levels of good cholesterol.
Wakabayashi, of the Hyogo College of Medicine in Japan, launched the study to explore whether high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol which is thought to protect the heart from disease might play a role in how drinking affects blood pressure in men.
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