Alcohol, patient compliance and blood pressure control in hypertensive patients.

The association of self-reported use of alcohol with blood pressure and compliance with antihypertensive medication was studied in a randomly selected population sample in eastern Finland. We found a positive correlation between reported use of alcohol and diastolic blood pressure level and a negative correlation with the reduction of diastolic blood pressure during a five-year treatment. These correlations were independent of age, gender, and blood pressure level 5 years earlier. The use of alcohol was associated, especially in men, with poor compliance with antihypertensive medication. In addition to a possible direct contribution to high blood pressure, alcohol intake resulted in an inadequate control of blood pressure in male hypertensive patients by lowering patient compliance.