Binge Drinking Linked to Hypertension

Binge drinking—consuming more than 5 drinks per occasion—is associated with higher systolic blood pressure in 24-year-olds, which can lead to hypertension, according to new research.

Although previous research has linked binge drinking to various health risks, it’s influence on blood pressure was previously unknown.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

RELATED CONTENT
Rates of Binge Drinking in the US Have Risen Significantly
Could Moderate Drinking Help Prevent Heart Disease?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

To investigate this connection, researchers studied 756 participants aged 20 years at baseline in the Nicotine Dependence in Teens study based in Canada.

Researchers administered a questionnaire to gauge participants’ alcohol consumption at baseline (age 20). Four years later (age 24), they administered another questionnaire and measured participants’ systolic blood pressure.

Results showed that participants who binge drink have higher systolic blood pressure than nonbinge drinkers. At age 24, the systolic blood pressure of participants who binged monthly was 2.61 mm Hg higher than nonbingers, and the systolic blood pressure of those who binged weekly was 4.03 mm Hg higher than nonbingers.

When comparing systolic blood pressure at baseline and follow-up, participants who had binged at age 20 had higher blood pressure than nonbingers.

“Frequent binge drinking at ages 20 and 24 years is associated with higher systolic blood pressure at age 24 years and may be implicated in the development of hypertension,” researchers concluded.

—Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Wellman RJ, Vaughn JA, Sylvestre MP, et al. Relationships between current and past binge drinking and systolic blood pressure in young adults. J Adolesc Health. Published online February 19, 2016. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.10.251.