Alcohol consumption and its impact on the risk of high blood pressure in Russia

Assessment of the Prevalence of Alcoholic Beverage Consumption and Knowledge of the Impact of Alcohol on Health in a Group of Polish Young Adults Aged 18-35: A Cross-Sectional Study

Alcoholic beverages are widely consumed worldwide, especially by young adults. Their excessive consumption is associated with numerous health, social and financial damages. The level of knowledge of young adults about the health effects of consuming alcoholic beverages is low, and research in this area is conducted on small, unrepresentative groups. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence of alcoholic beverage consumption and the level of knowledge about the impact of ethyl alcohol on health in a group of people aged 18−35. The survey results indicate that the majority of respondents regularly consume alcoholic beverages (94.6%), and they are at a low risk of excessive consumption (p < 0.0001). The most frequently chosen alcoholic beverage in the studied group was beer, and the least chosen one was vodka. The main motive for reaching for alcoholic beverages was the desire to improve mood. Respondents did not indicate significant changes in alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic, but participants in the high-risk group more often indicated an increase in alcohol consumption (p = 0.0025). The analysis of the level of knowledge showed that the participants in the study had an average or low level of knowledge about the effects of ethanol on health, with no significant relationships between the study groups. The obtained results indicate a strong need for the continuous education of young people on the effects of the excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages on the body, with particular emphasis on the consequences of using alcohol as a mood-enhancing agent.

The role of dietary salt and alcohol use reduction in the management of hypertension

Introduction: Despite the improved treatment protocol of hypertension, the magnitude of the disease and its related burden remains raised. Hypertension makes up the leading cause of stroke, kidney disease, arterial disease, eye disease, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) growth. Areas covered: This review provides the overview of the role of dietary salt and alcohol use reduction in the management of hypertension, a brief history of alcohol, the vascular endothelium functions, the effects of alcohol use on blood pressure (BP), the mechanisms of alcohol, brief history of salt, the effects of dietary salt intake on BP, and the mechanisms of salt. Expert opinion: Studies found that high dietary salt intake and heavy alcohol consumption have a major and huge impact on BP while both of them have been identified to increase BP. Also, they raise the risk of hypertension-related morbidity and mortality in advance. On the other way, the dietary salt and alcohol use reduction in the management of hypertension are significant in the control of BP and its related morbidity and mortality. Further, studies suggested that the dietary salt and alcohol use reductions are the cornerstone in the management of hypertension due to their significance as part of comprehensive lifestyle modifications.

Prevalence of hypertension and its associated factors among adults in Debre Markos Town, Northwest Ethiopia: community based cross-sectional study

Objective

To assess the prevalence and associated factors of hypertension among adults in Debre Markos town, Northwest Ethiopia. A community based cross sectional study design was employed. Systematic random sampling was used to select 456 study participants. Analysis was performed using SPSS version 20. Binary logistic regression was fitted to show the association between dependent variable and independent variables.

Result

A total of 57 (12.5%) individuals had hypertension in Debre Markos town. Being female [AOR 3.78, 95% CI 1.56, 9.147], consuming animal source fat [AOR 6.28, 95% CI 2.63, 14.99], family history of hypertension [AOR 4.88, 95% CI 1.99, 12.015], age greater than 50 years [AOR 3.31, 95% CI 1.00, 10.99], body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m² [AOR 4.70, 95% CI 1.99, 11.06], excess salt consumption [AOR 6.49, 95% CI 2.83,14.89] and alcohol consumers [AOR 3.19, 95% CI 1.13, 8.99] were found to be statistically significant factors associated with hypertension. The prevalence of hypertension in Debre Markos town is still a public health problem. Being female sex, consuming animal source fat, family history of hypertension, excess salt consumption age greater than 50 years and body mass index > 25 kg/m² were significant factors of hypertension. Therefore, health sectors should take actions to tackle these modifiable risk factors.

Prevalence and associated factors of hypertension: a crossectional community based study in northwest ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Hypertension, being the root cause of many of the body sytem and organs failure, remains to be a major public health challenge globally. Though the problem is huge in both developed and developing countries, data are scarce in developing countries like Ethiopia. Therefore, this study was aimed to determine the magnitude and associated factors of hypertension in North West Ethiopia.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted on adults aged 35 years and above in the rural and urban communities of Dabat district and Gondar town in 2012. The data were collected using the WHO STEPwise strategy. Hypertension was defined as having a Systolic blood pressure of ≥140 mmHg and/ or a Diastolic BP of ≥ 90mmHg or a reported use of anti-hypertensive medications for raised blood pressure. Prevalence was computed with a 95% confidence interval. Selected risk factors were assessed using a biviarete logistic regression.

RESULTS

A total of 2200 participants were included in the study. The median age (±SD) was 47 (±12.4) years. The overall prevalence of hypertension was found to be 27.9% [95% CI 26.0, 29.8], with the proportion in the urban and rural residents being 30.7% and 25.3% respectively. The prevalence of hypertension was 29.3% for women and 26.3% for men. Out of the 598 hypertensive patients 241 (40.3%) had blood pressure measurements, and 99 (16.6%) had known hypertension and were on treatment. The proportion of systolic and diastolic hypertension in this subgroup of adults was 133(6.2%). The multivariable logistic regression analysis showed older age (AOR = 1.06; 1.05, 1.07), raised fasting glucose (AOR = 1.01; 1.001, 1.01), alcohol consumption (AOR = 1.71; 1.24, 2.36), and raised BMI (AOR =1.07; 1.04, 1.10) were significantly associated with hypertension.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of hypertension was considerably higher in rural areas than previously reported. The health system needs to develop strategies to increase the reach of relevant screening and diagnostic services to both rural and urban populations.

Gender differences in the association of hazardous alcohol use with hypertension in an urban cohort of people living with HIV in South Florida

Objective

Industrialized countries are currently experiencing an epidemic of high blood pressure (HBP) extending to people living with HIV (PLWH). Given the prevalence of hazardous alcohol use (HAU), this study examines the relationship between alcohol consumption and hypertension in PLWH. Including a gender analysis is critical, given the high rates of HAU and HIV among females.

Method

We followed PLWH including both HAU and non-HAU (200 each). Participants were assessed twice for body weight, blood pressure, alcohol consumption, and other BP-associated lifestyle factors. High blood pressure (defined as systolic/diastolic blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg and/or treatment of HBP) was the primary outcome.

Results

Overall prevalence of hypertension was 38% and higher among HAU compared to non-HAU (42% vs. 34%, p = 0.02). Less than half with HBP (42%) were receiving treatment for hypertension. Overall, males had a 50% higher risk of HBP than women (odds ratio: 1.5, 95% CI: 1–2.6, p = 0.05). However among HAU, females were twice as likely to suffer HBP as their male counterparts (95% CI: 1–3.9, p = 0.02). Those HAU who preferred liquor, versus wine, had higher adjusted mean BP (132.6±18 vs. 122.3±14 mm Hg, p = 0.05). Additional analyses indicated that consumption of >1 standard drink of liquor or beer/day was associated with HBP. Risk of hypertension was noted in those with daily consumption of >3 glasses of wine. For those reporting <1 drink per day, the odds ratio of having HBP was 0.97 (CI: 0.6–0.99, p = 0.05). Factors associated with hypertension in the multivariate model included increased age, gender, BMI, HAU particularly of liquor, and smoking.

Conclusions

Excessive hypertension burden in this population and its association with HAU and sub-optimal care indicate the need for preventive and educational intervention in PLWH. Analyses highlight the necessity of gender and type-of-beverage specific approaches.