Even just 1 alcoholic drink a day may increase blood pressure, study finds

The study, published Monday in the American Heart Association Journal Hypertension, found that routine consumption of alcohol was associated with a rise in blood pressure.

Paul Whelton, a professor at Tulane University and lead researcher on the study, told FOX Television Stations that the idea for this study came from the team’s desire to look at modest intakes of alcohol in contrast to previous studies that have shown that consuming high amounts can lead to higher blood pressure levels. 

“There’s no safe level of alcohol,” Whelton said of the findings. “The more that you consume and the more that you regularly consume it, the more you’re going to get a blood pressure effect.”

While Whelton told FOX he wasn’t surprised by the results, he thinks people should be aware of these findings. 

Blood pressure increased after one daily alcoholic drink

Meanwhile, diastolic blood pressure rose 1.14 mmHg over the study period in men who drank an average of 12 grams of alcohol per day and 3.1 mmHg in men who drank an average 48 grams of alcohol per day. Diastolic blood pressure changes were not associated with alcoholic beverage consumption in women.

According to Heart.org, high blood pressure, or hypertension, is an important – yet preventable – risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, but because there are often no symptoms, many don’t know they have it unless they’re checking for it.

Prior research has shown a link between alcoholic beverage consumption and diseases, including high blood pressure.

RELATED: Drinking alcohol could increase risk of more than 60 diseases, study suggests

Known long-term health risks associated with excessive alcohol consumption include high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, certain cancers, weakened immune system, depression, anxiety, and learning and memory problems, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. 

Some studies suggest alcohol may have health benefits

Research out of the United Kingdom found that wine may be the only alcoholic drink that can be beneficial for health — but it may only be due to the powerful antioxidants found in grapes.

They found that low-level consumption of beer, cider and spirits was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events, coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer and overall mortality.

This story was reported from Los Angeles. Kelly Hayes contributed.