Alcohol consumption as a risk factor for high blood pressure from the Cardiovascular Diseases and Alimentary Comparison Study. CARDIAC Cooperative Research Group).

The relationship between alcohol consumption and blood pressure (BP) was studied in 29 centers in 12 countries as part of the International Cooperative Cardiovascular Diseases and Alimentary Comparison (CARDIAC) Study. From each population, 100 men and 100 women aged 50-54 were randomly selected for BP measurement by automated system and for a standardized interview to complete the questionnaire relating to alcohol consumption. In cross-center simple linear regression analysis, mean alcohol consumption calculated from a previous week's drinking did not show a linear association to BP. In within-center multiple linear regression analysis, relationships between high alcohol intake (much greater than 300 g/week) and BP were assessed among 26 centers with high alcohol drinkers after being adjusted for other confounding variables. Positive associations of high alcohol intake with systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) were noted in 17 and 16 centers, respectively. Thus, high alcohol intake was positively and independently associated with BP in individual subjects.