Alcohol, blood pressure, and diabetes

Alcohol puts blood pressure up
How much of your blood pressure is due to alcohol?
Do you drink too much?
Structured advice
Internet links to help groups
Local services
aquarius.org.uk/
a helpful app www.drinkcoach.org.uk

the blood pressure rise after 4 pints of beer (8 units)

After 4 pints of beer (8 units) blood pressure rises for 2 days (enlarge)

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?

rise in blood pressure per unit of alcohol

alcohol increases blood pressure enlarge & press F11

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.

Do you drink too much? Use this tool...

How often do you have a drink containing alcohol?

[0] Never
[1] Monthly or less
[2] 2-4 times a month
[3] 2-3 times a week
[4] 4 or more times a week

How many units of alcohol do you drink on a typical
day when you are drinking?

[0] 1 or 2
[1] 3 or 4
[2] 5 or 6
[3] 7, 8 or 9
[4] 10 or more

How often do you have six or more units of alcohol
on one occasion?

[0] Never
[1] Less than monthly
[2] Monthly
[3] Weekly
[4] Daily or almost daily

How often during the last year have you found that you
were not able to stop drinking once you had started?

[0] Never
[1] Less than monthly
[2] Monthly
[3] Weekly
[4] Daily or almost daily

How often during the last year have you failed to do what was normally expected from you because of drinking?

[0] Never
[1] Less than monthly
[2] Monthly
[3] Weekly
[4] Daily or almost daily

How often during the last year have you needed a first
drink in the morning to get yourself going after a heavy
drinking session?

[0] Never
[1] Less than monthly
[2] Monthly
[3] Weekly
[4] Daily or almost daily

How often during the last year have you had a feeling of guilt or remorse after drinking?

[0] Never
[1] Less than monthly
[2] Monthly
[3] Weekly
[4] Daily or almost daily

How often during the last year have you been unable
to remember what happened the night before because
you had been drinking?

[0] Never
[1] Less than monthly
[2] Monthly
[3] Weekly
[4] Daily or almost daily

Have you or someone else been injured as a result of
your drinking?

[0] No
[2] Yes but not in the last year
[4] Yes, during the last year

Has a relative or friend or doctor or another health
worker been concerned about your drinking or
suggested you cut down?

[0] No
[2] Yes but not in the last year
[4] Yes, during the last year

Record total of specific items here
If total over 8, alcohol use disorder very likely

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/

www.diabeticretinopathy.org.uk

General

Alcohol, blood pressure, and diabetes

David Kinshuck

Alcohol, blood pressure, and diabetes

How much of your blood pressure is due to alcohol?

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Use this graph: enlarge & press F11

Do you drink too much? Use this tool...

Structured advice

Do you find it difficult to stop drinking? Visit the sites....

UK websites

Local alcohol services

National alcohol services

Counselling

Units

How often do you have a drink containing alcohol?	[0] Never [1] Monthly or less [2] 2-4 times a month [3] 2-3 times a week [4] 4 or more times a week
How many units of alcohol do you drink on a typical day when you are drinking?	[0] 1 or 2 [1] 3 or 4 [2] 5 or 6 [3] 7, 8 or 9 [4] 10 or more
How often do you have six or more units of alcohol on one occasion?	[0] Never [1] Less than monthly [2] Monthly [3] Weekly [4] Daily or almost daily
How often during the last year have you found that you were not able to stop drinking once you had started?	[0] Never [1] Less than monthly [2] Monthly [3] Weekly [4] Daily or almost daily
How often during the last year have you failed to do what was normally expected from you because of drinking?	[0] Never [1] Less than monthly [2] Monthly [3] Weekly [4] Daily or almost daily
How often during the last year have you needed a first drink in the morning to get yourself going after a heavy drinking session?	[0] Never [1] Less than monthly [2] Monthly [3] Weekly [4] Daily or almost daily
How often during the last year have you had a feeling of guilt or remorse after drinking?	[0] Never [1] Less than monthly [2] Monthly [3] Weekly [4] Daily or almost daily
How often during the last year have you been unable to remember what happened the night before because you had been drinking?	[0] Never [1] Less than monthly [2] Monthly [3] Weekly [4] Daily or almost daily
Have you or someone else been injured as a result of your drinking?	[0] No [2] Yes but not in the last year [4] Yes, during the last year
Has a relative or friend or doctor or another health worker been concerned about your drinking or suggested you cut down?	[0] No [2] Yes but not in the last year [4] Yes, during the last year
Record total of specific items here If total over 8, alcohol use disorder very likely
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/