Heavy Teen Drinking Invites Heart Disease Later

A new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism suggests that youth who indulge in heavy drinking might be putting themselves at high risk of developing a collection of risk factors for heart disease and stroke in their later years.

The grouping of risk factors for heart disease, stroke and diabetes is known as metabolic syndrome and includes abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, low levels of “good” HDL cholesterol, high blood sugar and high triglyceride levels. Presence of three or more of the above factors is normally indicative of metabolic syndrome.

Earlier studies have found that moderate drinking can be good for the heart as it can boost HDL levels; however heavy drinking is not considered good. The new study by researchers at the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation in Berkeley, California further confirms this.

Dr. Maria Russell and colleagues looked at the lifetime drinking habits of more than 2,800 adults to understand the effects of drinking on heart health. The participants aged 35 to 80 years were all questioned about their lifetime drinking habits as well as other lifestyle factors such as regular exercise and smoking.

While all the participants had consumed alcohol on a regular basis at some point in their lives, the researchers found that the participants could be divided into two major groups on the basis of their drinking habits. The first group consisted of people who started drinking early in life, indulged in heavy drinking in their teens and young adulthood and then tapered off in their middle-age. In the other group, participants were more stable and drank moderately over the years.

The researchers found that the early drinkers were nearly one-third more likely to have metabolic syndrome compared to the stable drinkers. They were also at 48% higher risk of being abdominally obese and 62% more likely to have low HDL cholesterol. This led researchers to suggest that heavy drinking in early life might contribute to metabolic syndrome later on.

“There are already many reasons for encouraging young people to avoid heavy drinking,” Dr. Russell said. “Long-term health consequences, such as an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, may be another,” she added.

Dr. Russell noted that excessive drinking leads to oxidative stress in the body which in turn damages body cells over time. The condition is believed to contribute to cardiovascular disease and other health problems.

According to Dr. Russell, their study is the first one to take the “lifetime approach” to understanding how alcohol and health are related and so needs to be confirmed with further research.

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