EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL RESTRICTION ON 24-HOUR AMBULATORY BLOOD-PRESSURE IN JAPANESE MEN WITH HYPERTENSION

PURPOSE: Restriction of alcohol intake is widely recommended in the tr eatment of hypertension. However, we have observed that alcohol may ha ve biphasic effects on blood pressure in Japanese men with hypertensio n. METHODS: Hypertensive men (n = 34) who habitually drank alcohol wer e randomly assigned to keep their drinking habits constant for 4 weeks , or to abstain (or reduce alcohol intake to a maximum of 15 mL/day) f or 4 weeks in a crossover design. Amount of alcohol intake was recorde d by each patient throughout the study. Office and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure were measured at the end of both periods. RESULTS: Afte r alcohol restriction, mean (+/- SD) ethanol intake decreased from 66 +/- 26 mL/day to 11 +/- 10 mL/day. Office systolic blood pressure decr eased slightly from 142 +/- 12 mm Hg to 139 +/- 11 mm Hg, and diastoli c blood pressure decreased significantly from 95 +/- 7 mm Hg to 93 +/- 7 mm Hg in the low-alcohol period. Daytime systolic blood pressure fe ll by 3 +/- 9 mm Hg (P < 0.05), but nighttime systolic blood pressure rose by 4 +/- 9 mm Hg (P < 0.05) with restriction of alcohol intake. T hus, average 24-hour blood pressure did not change, although 24-hour h eart rate and day-night difference in blood pressure decreased signifi cantly in the low-alcohol period. CONCLUSION: In Asian men with hypert ension, restriction of alcohol intake reduces daytime blood pressure b ut not nighttime or 24-hour blood pressure. (C) 1998 by Excerpta Medic a, Inc.