Binge drinking puts young males at hypertension risk

Binge drinking in early adulthood is associated with an increased likelihood of high blood pressure in males, a research found.

Researchers led by Sarah Twichell from the Boston Children's Hospital in the US analysed data from the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS), a study of children who were 8 to 14 years old in 1996 and were followed with detailed surveys every one to two years.

The team examined information on 8,605 participants who completed the 2010 survey.

"We found that in young adult men, frequent binge drinking over the past year was associated with a 1.7 times increased likelihood of developing hypertension," said Twichell.

In young adolescent males, there was no significant association between binge drinking or quantity of alcohol use and hypertension after they entered adulthood.

Light and moderate alcohol use in young adult women was associated with a significantly reduced likelihood of hypertension.

"Further study of alcohol use in young adulthood may provide insights into the early development of hypertension," Twichell concluded.