Binge drinking and ambulatory blood pressure

The effect of alcohol drinking in raising blood pressure (BP) is rapidly re versible. However, there is only limited information on the effect of binge drinking on BP values. In this study, 20 healthy men who were all social d rinkers drank alcohol (2.2 g/kg) in controlled circumstances on a Saturday evening. Ambulatory BP measurement (ABPM) values were compared with ABPM va lues of the same subjects during the previous sober Saturday, separately th roughout 6 hours of intoxication, throughout 6 hours when blood alcohol lev els decreased, and throughout 6 hangover hours. During the intoxication per iod, both mean systolic BP and mean diastolic BP were 5 mm Hg higher (P=0.0 183 and P=0.0529, respectively) and the pulse was 18 beats per minute faste r (P=0.0001) compared with the corresponding sober period during the previo us weekend. While blood alcohol levels decreased after drinking, mean systo lic BP was 4 mm Hg lower (P=0.0331), diastolic BP was 5 mm Hg lower (P=0.00 58), and pulse was 15 bpm faster (P=0.0001) than during the sober weekend. No statistically significant difference was found between the weekends in B P values during the hangover period. Drinking seems to increase both systol ic and diastolic BP during intoxication but not during hangover. During the period when blood alcohol levels are decreasing, usually at night, both pr essure levels fall to less than the basic level. These major and rapid chan ges in BP values might increase the likelihood of strokes, which are seen i n increased numbers among young adults, especially during weekends and holi days.