Abstract 12217: Effect of Repeated Binge Drinking in Mid-Life Adults on Vascular Function

Abstract

Introduction: Age-related changes in vascular function, including endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffening, contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease. “Mid-life adults”, defined as age 50-64, begin to show signs of vascular aging. One in five mid-life adults engage in binge drinking and our previous studies in young adults showed that repeated binge drinking was associated with endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffening. However, it is unclear how binge drinking influences vascular function in aged individuals. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate endothelial function and arterial stiffness in mid-life adults who binge drink regularly (binge drinkers) compared to those who did not drink alcohol (alcohol abstainers). Methods: Twelve apparently healthy mid-life men and postmenopausal women, with no smoking history were included in this study (mean±SEM, age: 57±1 years, body mass index: 26.0±0.8 kg/cm 2 , systolic blood pressure: 119±5 mmHg). Alcohol use was assessed by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and dried blood spot phosphatidylethanol. Endothelial function was assessed by brachial artery response to reactive hyperemia (flow-mediated dilation, FMD) via ultrasonography. Arterial stiffness was assessed by carotid to femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) via use of the cuff-based SphygmoCor Xcel. Results: Binge drinkers (n=6) had an AUDIT score≥5 (11.8±2.1) and positive phosphatidylethanol level (162±103 ng/mL), while alcohol abstainers (n=6) had an AUDIT score≤1 (0.8±0.2) and negative phosphatidylethanol level. Compared to alcohol abstainers, binge drinkers had a lower brachial artery FMD (alcohol abstainers vs. binge drinkers: 9.8±1.2% vs. 5.1±0.9%, P=0.01), but similar cfPWV (7.2±0.7 vs. 7.0±0.5 m/sec, P=0.8). Conclusions: Our results indicate that compared to mid-life adult alcohol abstainers, binge drinkers had lower endothelial function, but similar arterial stiffness. These findings suggest that repeated binge drinking may further impair endothelial function throughout the aging process.