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Otherwise healthy college-age adults who binge drink show possible early signs of impaired vascular function, a small study showed.
Compared with their nondrinking peers, those who drank alcohol excessively had significantly lower brachial artery endothelial-dependent flow-mediated vasodilation (8.4% versus 11%, P=0.022) and flow-independent nitroglycerin-mediated dilation (19.6% versus 28.6%, P=0.009), according to Shane Phillips, PT, PhD, of the University of Illinois at Chicago, and colleagues.
Those differences were accompanied by some signs that microvascular function was affected as well, the researchers reported online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
The alterations "are similar to those seen in association with recognized cardiovascular risk factors," they wrote. "This study adds to a growing chain of evidence that suggests that, in contrast to regular and moderate alcohol consumption, binge drinking may be a risk factor for future clinical cardiovascular disease."
"This study has important clinical implications for screening young adults for a repeated history of binge drinking," they wrote.
Previous studies of middle-age individuals have shown that binge drinking -- defined as consuming at least five standard alcoholic drinks for men and at least four drinks for women in 2 hours -- is associated with greater cardiovascular risk and with progression of carotid atherosclerosis.
To explore possible early signs of those risks, Phillips and colleagues turned to men and women, ages 18 to 25, from an urban university -- 17 who abstained from alcohol and 19 who reported binge drinking within the previous 2 weeks. In the latter group, the average number of binge drinking episodes in the past month was six and the average duration of such behavior was 4 years.
Both groups of participants were generally healthy, with normal levels of lipids, C-reactive protein, glucose, and insulin. The cardiovascular risk profiles were similar in the two groups.
The significantly lower flow-mediated dilation and nitroglycerin-mediated dilation seen in the binge drinkers was consistent with previous studies looking both at individuals after a single binge and at those who no longer drank, but had a history of heavy alcohol abuse (more than six drinks each day for more than 8 years).
In terms of microvascular function, acetylcholine- and sodium nitroprusside-induced dilation in resistance arteries obtained from gluteal fat pad biopsies was not significantly different between the groups.
Endothelin-1-induced constriction, however, was greater in the binge drinkers (P=0.032).
"Endothelin-1 (ET-1) may reduce nitric oxide production and increase nitric oxide degradation, and increased plasma levels of ET-1 have been found in heavy alcohol consumers, making it important to elucidate the effects of binge drinking on ET-1 and ET-1 receptors in the setting of binge drinking," the authors wrote.
They acknowledged that the study was limited by the small sample size, the cross-sectional design, the use of self-reported data on alcohol consumption, and the fact that binge drinkers had a larger brachial artery diameter and lower peak shear rates at baseline, which could have influenced the results.
The study was supported by NIH grants. The project was also supported by the University of Illinois at Chicago, Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS), Award Number UL1RR029879 from the National Center for Research Resources.
The authors reported no conflicts of interest.
- Reviewed by Robert Jasmer, MD Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco and Dorothy Caputo, MA, BSN, RN, Nurse Planner
Journal of the American College of CardiologySource Reference: Goslawski M, et al "Binge drinking impairs vascular function in young adults" J Am Coll Cardiol 2013; DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2013.03.049.