Does drinking wine every night cause high blood pressure?
It can. Regular drinking raises blood pressure, and the more you drink, the bigger the rise. A large 2023 analysis found that even one drink a day was linked to higher readings over time, and from about two to three drinks a day the effect becomes clear and much larger. Wine is no exception: red wine's reputation for being good for the heart has not held up for blood pressure.
The good news runs the other way too. In people who drink more than two drinks a day, cutting back lowers blood pressure, and the more they were drinking, the bigger the drop. Below: what the research measured, what happens the night you drink and the morning after, the red wine question, how to check your own numbers at home, and when to talk to a doctor.
What the research found, in plain numbers
| Study | Who | What it found |
|---|---|---|
| Di Federico et al., Hypertension, 2023 (American Heart Association journal) | Seven cohort studies, over 19,000 adults without high blood pressure, followed for about 5 years on average | Top number (systolic) was about 1.3 points higher at about 1 drink a day (12 g) and about 4.9 points higher at about 4 drinks a day (48 g). No amount was found that didn't raise it. |
| Roerecke et al., The Lancet Public Health, 2017 | 36 trials, 2,865 adults, mostly men | For people drinking more than 2 drinks a day, cutting back lowered blood pressure. In those drinking 6 or more a day who cut by about half, the top number fell about 5.5 points and the bottom about 4. |
| Tasnim et al., Cochrane review, 2020 | 32 trials of drinking in a single session | Moderate and high amounts lowered blood pressure for a few hours, then high amounts raised it again by the next day, and heart rate went up. |
| Chiva-Blanch et al., Circulation Research, 2012 | 67 men at high heart risk, drinking red wine, alcohol-free red wine or gin for 4 weeks each | Alcohol-free red wine lowered blood pressure (top number by about 6 points). Regular red wine and gin did not. |
A few points of blood pressure sounds small, but across years it matters: higher blood pressure raises the risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney disease, and each point lower helps.
How much is "every night"?
The studies count in standard drinks, about 14 grams of alcohol, which is 5 ounces of 12% wine. Real glasses are often bigger. A 9-ounce pour of 14% red is about two standard drinks, so "two glasses a night" can be four. Our guide to how many standard drinks are in a bottle of wine has a table for your bottle and glass.
| Your nightly habit | Standard drinks a day (13.5% wine) | Where the research puts it |
|---|---|---|
| One measured 5 oz glass | about 1.1 | a small rise, about 1 point on average over years |
| One big home glass (9 oz) | about 2 | the range where the rise becomes clearer |
| Half a bottle | about 2.9 | past the point where cutting back measurably lowers blood pressure |
| A bottle | about 5.7 | a rise of several points is likely; the biggest drops when cutting back were seen here |
These are averages across many people. Your own blood pressure may respond more or less.
What happens the night you drink, and the morning after
A glass of wine can make blood pressure dip for a few hours, because alcohol widens blood vessels. That's partly why wine can feel relaxing. The 2020 Cochrane review found that after higher amounts, blood pressure rose again later, by the next day, and heart rate stayed up. So a reading taken in the evening may look fine, while the morning reading is higher.
Over months and years, regular drinking keeps blood pressure higher. Researchers point to several reasons: alcohol stirs up the body's stress response, affects hormones that control blood vessels and salt balance, disturbs sleep, and adds calories that can lead to weight gain. Each of these on its own can push blood pressure up.
Isn't red wine good for your heart?
That idea came from older studies in which moderate drinkers looked healthier than non-drinkers. Later work showed that many "non-drinkers" in those studies had quit because they were already unwell, which made drinkers look better than they were. Current US guidance advises drinking less, not drinking for health, and the American Heart Association does not recommend starting to drink for your heart.
Red wine contains plant compounds such as polyphenols and resveratrol. The 2012 trial above is telling: the same red wine with the alcohol removed lowered blood pressure, while the regular red wine did not. Whatever is useful in the grapes seems to work better without the alcohol. The amount of resveratrol in a glass is also far lower than the doses used in lab studies.
Can you drink wine if you already have high blood pressure?
Ask your doctor, because the answer depends on your readings and your medicines. In general:
- The 2025 American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology guideline on high blood pressure lists cutting down on alcohol as one of the lifestyle steps that lowers it. For people who drink, it advises less, ideally none, and at most 2 drinks a day for men and 1 for women.
- Alcohol can add to the effect of some blood pressure medicines and make you dizzy or lightheaded, especially when standing up. It can also make some medicines work less well.
- If your blood pressure is hard to control, alcohol is one of the common hidden causes doctors look for.
Be honest with your doctor about how much you drink, in standard drinks. It changes what they recommend.
How fast does blood pressure come down when you drink less?
In the trials reviewed in the 2017 Lancet analysis, people's blood pressure was measured after they had cut back for a period of weeks, and the drop was already visible. How much it falls for you depends on how much you were drinking, your weight, salt intake, activity and sleep. People drinking two drinks a day or fewer saw little change in those trials, so the benefit is clearest for heavier nightly drinking. The benefits of drinking less alcohol guide covers what else tends to change, and when.
How to check your own numbers at home
A home monitor that goes on your upper arm costs about the same as a few bottles of wine. To get readings you can trust, the American Heart Association suggests:
- No caffeine, exercise or smoking for 30 minutes before.
- Sit quietly for 5 minutes, back supported, feet flat on the floor, arm resting at heart height.
- Cuff on bare skin, the right size for your arm.
- Take two readings a minute apart, and write both down.
- Measure at the same times each day: once in the morning before food or medicine, once in the evening.
| Reading (top / bottom) | Category |
|---|---|
| Under 120 and under 80 | Normal |
| 120–129 and under 80 | Elevated |
| 130–139 or 80–89 | High blood pressure, stage 1 |
| 140 or higher, or 90 or higher | High blood pressure, stage 2 |
| Over 180 and/or over 120 | Severe: check again after a few minutes, and get help (below) |
A 4-week test: does your nightly wine move your numbers?
This doesn't replace your doctor's advice, but it shows you what your own body does.
| Week | Wine | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | As usual. Measure your pour and count standard drinks. | Morning and evening readings every day. |
| 2 | Wine on 3 nights only, one measured glass. | Same times, same chair. |
| 3 | Same as week 2, or fewer nights if week 2 felt easy. | Same. |
| 4 | Keep the new pattern. | Same. Then compare the average morning reading in week 1 with week 4. |
Keep other things as steady as you can (salt, coffee, exercise) so the change you see is mostly from the wine. Take your log to your next appointment.
If the hardest part is the nightly pull itself, craving wine every night has a plan for the craving hour, and how to cut back on drinking wine covers pours, buying and wine nights. Our free drinking pattern quiz finds the moment behind most of your glasses in about 2 minutes.
Other things that lower blood pressure alongside drinking less
- Less salt. Most salt comes from packaged and restaurant food, not the shaker.
- More potassium from fruit, vegetables and beans (unless your doctor has told you to limit it).
- Regular activity: the AHA suggests about 150 minutes of moderate activity a week.
- Weight: for people with extra weight, losing some tends to lower readings. Fewer drinks often helps here too; see will drinking less help me lose weight.
- Sleep: alcohol close to bedtime fragments sleep, and poor sleep is linked to higher blood pressure.
When to see a doctor
- Your home readings are 130/80 or higher on most days.
- You're on blood pressure medicine and you drink most nights.
- You drink most of a bottle or more a day: don't stop suddenly without advice, because withdrawal can itself raise blood pressure and heart rate, and can be dangerous.
If a reading is over 180 on top or over 120 on the bottom, wait a few minutes and check again. If it's still that high, contact your doctor right away. If it comes with chest pain, shortness of breath, back pain, numbness or weakness, trouble seeing or speaking, call 911. For help with drinking, SAMHSA's free, confidential helpline is open around the clock: 1-800-662-4357.
Questions people ask
Does one glass of wine a day raise blood pressure?
On average, a little. The 2023 analysis found about a 1-point rise in the top number over years at about one drink a day. The rise grows with more drinks.
Does wine raise blood pressure right away?
Not usually in the first hours: it often dips. After larger amounts, it tends to rise again by the next day, and heart rate goes up.
Is red wine better than other drinks for blood pressure?
No good evidence says so. In one trial, red wine with the alcohol removed lowered blood pressure, and regular red wine did not. The alcohol seems to be the problem.
How long after cutting back does blood pressure drop?
In trials, a drop was visible after weeks of drinking less, mainly for people who had been drinking more than two drinks a day.
Does alcohol-free wine raise blood pressure?
Alcohol-free wine wasn't linked to a rise in the trial above; it lowered blood pressure in that group of men. Check the sugar and calories on the label.
Is wine safe with blood pressure medicine?
It depends on the medicine. Alcohol can add to the lowering effect of some and cause dizziness, and can make others less effective. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about yours.
Find the moment behind your nightly glass
The free 2-minute drinking pattern quiz shows when and why you usually pour, and where a 30-day plan to drink less would start.
Take the quizMore on drinking less: all our drink-less guides.
Sources: Di Federico S. et al., "Alcohol Intake and Blood Pressure Levels: A Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Nonexperimental Cohort Studies," Hypertension, 2023. Roerecke M. et al., "The effect of a reduction in alcohol consumption on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis," The Lancet Public Health, 2017. Tasnim S. et al., "Effect of alcohol on blood pressure," Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020. Chiva-Blanch G. et al., "Dealcoholized red wine decreases systolic and diastolic blood pressure and increases plasma nitric oxide," Circulation Research, 2012. American Heart Association, blood pressure categories and home monitoring tips; 2025 AHA/ACC high blood pressure guideline. NIAAA, Rethinking Drinking (standard drinks). Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030 (January 2026). SAMHSA National Helpline. This guide is general information, not medical advice.