Binge drinking among young adult men may lead to increased blood pressure, according to a new study.
Interestingly, binge drinking didn't cause a similar rise in blood pressure for young adult women or for teenagers, according to the study. In fact, when young adult women drank lightly or moderately, their risk of high blood pressure was cut in half, the study found.
For a long time, researchers have been aware of a link between heavy alcohol consumption and high blood pressure, said Dr. Guy Mayeda, a cardiologist at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, but this study reveals how early it can start, according to WebMD.
"The thought is that in your 20s, you're invincible and immune to all these middle-aged diseases like heart disease and hypertension, but this study shows that young adult males who binge drink have higher instances of blood pressure," Mayeda said.
Binge drinking is defined as having more than five drinks in one sitting for males and more than four in one sitting for females.
Twichell's team analyzed information from a 2010 survey of approximately 8,600 participants. The study volunteers were initially recruited in 1996, when the participants were 8 to 14 years old, according to the study. They completed detailed surveys every one to two years for the study. In 2010, the participants were 22 to 28 years old.
Meanwhile, young adult women with light or moderate alcohol use were between 45 and 62 percent less likely to have high blood pressure, according to the study.
The reason drinking has variable effects on blood pressure has to do with the way alcohol affects the blood vessels, according to WebMd's report.