Search resultsAssociation between the Incidence of Hypertension and Alcohol-consumption Pattern and the Alcohol Flushing Response: A 12-Year Follow-up Study.
BACKGROUND: Alcohol consumption is associated with hypertension, and this association depends on the alcohol-consumption pattern and alcohol flushing response. In this 12-year follow-up study, we investigated the relationship between the alcohol-consumption pattern and incidence of hypertension in the Korean population.
METHODS: We analyzed 1,366 Korean participants in the Ansung-Ansan cohort study without hypertension at baseline. The subjects were classified into four alcohol-consumption patterns: never drinking, light alcohol consumption, moderate alcohol consumption, and heavy alcohol consumption; and as flushers or non-flushers in response to alcohol.
RESULTS: In flushers, moderate and heavy alcohol consumption pattern increased the risk of incident hypertension compared with never-drinkers [moderate: HR 1.811 (95% CI 1.084-3.028); heavy: HR 2.494 (95% CI 1.185-5.247)], but non-flushers were not associated with increased risk of incident hypertension according to alcohol consumption pattern. In addition, heavy alcohol consumption pattern increased the risk of hypertension among flushers compared with non-flushers [HR 2.232 (95% CI 1.054-4.728)].
CONCLUSION: In this 12-year follow-up study, we observed that moderate and heavy alcohol consumption was associated with an increased risk of hypertension in both flushers and non-flushers. Especially, a heavy alcohol-consumption pattern in flushers markedly increased the risk of hypertension.