Blood Pressure & Wine: Will an extra glass of wine increase my blood pressure?

Here’s a question submitted by a reader of The Heart of Health.

Question: I have been following alot of your advise, thank you. I was back to a consistent blood pressure around 120/80. It seems to be creeping up a bit now. I think maybe a glass a wine more frequently in summer parties and gatherings is the only change. I typically only have wine on Friday and Saturday (2 glasses max). Could a few more evenings of a glass of wine make that much difference? I see stress as less in summer as I work much less.

Answer: I’m glad my tips have been useful to you. Well done keeping your blood pressure within normal limits! It is possible the wine is contributing to the higher levels you are seeing recently. Alcohol does have a direct impact on blood pressure and some individuals may be more sensitive than others. The best test would be to discontinue/cut back on your wine intake for a couple weeks and monitor your blood pressure. If you see your blood pressure return to the 120/80 range you’ll know it was the wine.

All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
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