- For the facts about alcohol
- alcohol learning centre
- Units
- NICE extracts NICE gudelines bmj 2011
Alcohol, blood pressure, and diabetes
David Kinshuck
Alcohol, blood pressure, and diabetes
Alcohol puts blood pressure up. The lower your blood pressure the better, but it is best below 130/80, lower still in some patients. The NHS recommends less than 6 drinks or units a week, not really more than one a day. More than this leads to damage in the brain, breast cancer , retinopathy and so on.
The UK recommendation are now 2016
- less than 6 units a week
- no more than 2 units a day
- 2 alcohol free days a week
How much of your blood pressure is due to alcohol?
Each gram of alcohol puts systolic blood pressure up 0.24mmHg, diastolic 0.16 mmHg. This means 1 pint of beer (2 units, each unit 8g alcohol) with 16gm of alcohol, if drunk every day, will put the systolic blood pressure up (16 x 0.25=) 4mmHg.
Use this graph: enlarge & press F11
Do you drink too much? Use this tool...
How often do you have a drink containing alcohol? |
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How many units of alcohol do
you drink on a typical day when you are drinking? |
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How often do you have six or more
units of alcohol on one occasion? |
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How often during the last year
have you found that you were not able to stop drinking once you had started? |
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How often during the last year have you failed to do what was normally expected from you because of drinking? |
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How often during the last year
have you needed a first drink in the morning to get yourself going after a heavy drinking session? |
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How often during the last year have you had a feeling of guilt or remorse after drinking? |
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How often during the last year
have you been unable to remember what happened the night before because you had been drinking? |
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Have you or someone else been injured as
a result of your drinking? |
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Has a relative or friend or doctor or another
health worker been concerned about your drinking or suggested you cut down? |
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Record total
of specific items here If total over 8, alcohol use disorder very likely |
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If you scored positive and would
like to read some suggestions about what to do next, close this document CAGE
questions, BMJ (AUDIT
Screening tool, from Aquarius). aquarius.org.uk/ |
Structured advice
- how important is it to you to change your drinking
- do you feel ready
- do you feel able
Do you find it difficult to stop drinking? Visit the sites....
UK websites
- www.alcoholconcern.org.uk
- www.talktofrank.com
- Aquarius website
- International websites www.orchidrecoverycenter.com
Local alcohol services
National alcohol services
Counselling
- Counselling www.counselling-directory.org.uk/
Units