title: Hemodynamic effects of a single moderate dose of alcohol in elderly subjects.
abstract: The effects of 0.5 g ethanol/kg body weight and of an iso-volumic control drink were compared in eight normotensive subjects aged 70-96 years. Blood alcohol concentration reached a mean (+/- SEM) maximum of 44.4 +/- 5.0 mg/dl at 50 minutes after the start of drinking. Compared to control, alcohol increased mean sitting and standing heart rates by 3.4 +/- 1.3 (p = .08) and 5.4 +/- 1.9 (p less than .05) beats/minute, respectively; mean venous haematocrit rose by 3.9 +/- 1.3% (p less than .05). There were no significant changes in sitting or standing systolic or diastolic blood pressures after alcohol compared to the control drink. A single moderate dose of alcohol has only minor haemodynamic effects in normotensive elderly subjects. The rise in heart rate after alcohol may be a reflex response that helps to maintain blood pressure in the face of reduced circulating plasma volume due to alcohol-induced diuresis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Gartnavel General Hospital, Glasgow, Scotland.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Stott
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dutton
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: B O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: McInnes
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001810:Blood Volume / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006400:Hematocrit; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male