Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test whether moderate alcohol consumption has any positive effect on lowering blood pressure among Koreans. Study subjects were Korean adults 20 years or older (n=5,234) who participated in the 2001 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Analysis of variance and analysis of covariance were used to construct univariate and multivariate models relating alcohol consumption to blood pressure for the analysis. After adjustment for possible covariates, drinkers (regardless of drinking level) had significantly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure, compared with never-drinker for male subjects. Diastolic and systolic blood pressures were also significantly elevated with the drinking frequency and amount of alcohol intake among male subjects. For the female subjects, only diastolic blood pressure was significantly associated with the alcohol consumption at multivariate model, however, low level alcohol consumption did not show any sign of lowing effects on blood pressure. The result implies that moderate alcohol consumption did not have any positive effect on lowering blood pressure among Koreans for either sex.

• Keywords: drinking; hypertension; moderate alcohol consumption Korean; Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANS)