The Association of Blood Pressure and the Risk of Alcohol Use Disorders Among Smokers: Implications for Screening and Treatment

The current study explored the relation between blood pressure and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores among cigarette smokers and their nonsmoking peers. When participants were assessed collectively, only a modest positive correlation between blood pressure and AUDIT score was observed. When assessed by smoking status, however, smokers demonstrated a significant relation between higher blood pressure and increased AUDIT scores. Findings from this study suggest that there is an additive increase in blood pressure when increasing levels of alcohol use and related problems is combined with cigarette smoking. Screening and treatment implications are also discussed.