Acute effects of alcohol ingestion on blood pressure and erythrocyte sodium concentration

OBJECTIVE: To examine the acute effects of alcohol on blood pressure and erythrocyte cation concentrations in patients with essential hypertension. DESIGN: An alcoholic drink or an isocaloric control drink was given during supper in random order on different days, and blood pressure and erythrocyte cation concentrations were measured before and 2 h after the meal. METHODS: The subjects were 21 men with essential hypertension who habitually drank alcohol. Blood pressure was measured with a semi-automated sphygmomanometer, and erythrocyte cation concentrations were measured by flame photometry after haemolysis with distilled water. RESULTS: Blood pressure decreased after both drinks, but the decrease was significantly larger after the alcoholic drink than after the control drink. There was a significant difference between the changes in erythrocyte sodium caused by the alcoholic and the control drink. Furthermore, there were significant positive correlations between the fall in blood pressures and the decrease in erythrocyte sodium concentration. CONCLUSION: The predominant acute effect of alcohol ingestion in patients with hypertension is blood pressure reduction, and it may be associated with a decrease in intracellular sodium.