Key result
Binge drinking in young adults was associated with altered baseline heart rate spectra in the 0.05-0.15 Hz range and reduced baroreflex sensitivity compared to nondrinking and social drinking peers.
Why the study?
Does binge drinking cause preclinical cardiovascular changes in young adults compared to nondrinking and social drinking peers?
Observational (n=71)
Does binge drinking cause preclinical cardiovascular changes in young adults compared to nondrinking and social drinking peers?
Binge drinking in young adults is associated with early signs of cardiovascular dysregulation, including altered baroreflex sensitivity and vascular tone.
May signal early autonomic changes; leaves open causality and need for longitudinal outcome studies.
Binge drinking is widespread on American college campuses, but its effects on the cardiovascular system are poorly understood. This study sought evidence of preclinical cardiovascular changes in binge drinking young adults (n = 24) compared to nondrinking (n = 24) and social drinking (n = 23) peers during baseline, paced sighing (0.033 Hz), and paced breathing (0.1 Hz) tasks. Binge drinkers showed consistent but often statistically nonsignificant evidence of greater sympathetic activation and reduced baroreflex sensitivity. Interestingly, the structure of group-averaged baseline heart rate spectra was considerably different between groups in the low frequency range (0.05-0.15 Hz). In particular, the binge drinking group-averaged spectra showed several spectral peaks not evident in the other groups, possibly indicating two functionally distinct subranges (0.05-0.08 and 0.08-0.15 Hz) that reflect vascular tone baroreflex activity and heart rate baroreflex activity, respectively. Vascular tone baroreflex gain and power in two peaks in the 0.05-0.08 Hz range were associated with years of drinking in the binge drinking group. Vascular dysfunction may be an early indicator of drinking-related change in the cardiovascular system.
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Vaschillo et al. (2017) conducted an observational in Binge drinking (n=71). Binge drinking vs. Nondrinking and social drinking was evaluated on Preclinical cardiovascular changes including sympathetic activation and baroreflex sensitivity. Binge drinking in young adults was associated with altered baseline heart rate spectra in the 0.05-0.15 Hz range and reduced baroreflex sensitivity compared to nondrinking and social drinking peers.
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