ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ETHANOL CONSUMPTION AND HYPERTENSION RISK

Ethanol consumption has been linked to many physiological changes including hypertension. This review examines the mechanisms of how ethanol affects blood pressure through the nervous system, endocrine hormones, and local factors in blood vessels. Moreover, recent epidemiologicalliteratures on the roles of gender, age, ethnic backgrounds,and abstinencein the association between ethanol consumption and the risk of hypertension are summarized and compared.