Should I avoid alcohol if I have high blood pressure?

Drinking too much alcohol can increase blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure (hypertension) you should limit alcohol to two or fewer drinks a day for men and one or less for women. Excessive amounts of alcohol can raise blood pressure to unhealthy levels. In fact, according to the American Heart Association, “heavy and regular use of alcohol can increase blood pressure dramatically. It can also cause heart failure, lead to stroke, and produce irregular heartbeats.” Research shows that heavy drinkers who cut back to moderate drinking can lower their systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) by 2 to 4 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and their diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number in a blood pressure reading) by 1 to 2 mm Hg.