The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology issued their first new set of guidelines to help minimize hypertension since 2017.
The new guidelines used by clinicians nationwide recommend that Americans limit the amount of alcohol they consume. While forgoing alcohol consumption altogether is preferable, the groups found that men should limit their intake to no more than two drinks per day, while women should limit their intake to no more than one per day.
Systolic and diastolic blood pressure both increase over time with alcohol intake, according to a report published Aug. 14. The data found that those who avoid drinking alcohol have the lowest risk of hypertension, and that those who reduce their intake by at least 50% experienced healthy blood pressure levels.
The updated guidelines are now instructing doctors to recommend treatment to those with stage 1 hypertension rather than just stage 2.
