April 19, 2024

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Alcohol in young people is related to premature aging of blood vessels

Alcohol in young people is related to premature aging of blood vessels

 

Alcohol in young people is related to premature aging of blood vessels.  It is well known that drinking alcohol is harmful to health.

Many studies have shown that drinking is related to a series of injuries and diseases including cancer. But in life, we often hear a saying: A drink is a pleasure, and moderate drinking is good for health.

However, in August 2018, the international top medical journal “The Lancet” published a large-scale study on the burden of alcohol use in 195 countries and regions around the world. The study pointed out that alcohol is a global disease for men and women aged 15 to 49. And the main risk factor for premature death, nearly one in ten deaths of the world’s population is caused by drinking. The study concluded that the least harmful to health drinking is not drinking at all.

 

Alcohol in young people is related to premature aging of blood vessels

 

In July 2021, “The Lancet Oncology” published a large-scale research study led by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization.

The study pointed out that in 2020, more than 740,000 people will cause cancer due to drinking, and even a small amount of alcohol will significantly increase the incidence of cancer.

 

Alcohol in young people is related to premature aging of blood vessels

 

On August 23, 2021, researchers from University College London, UK, published a study titled: Alcohol use in young adults is associated with early ageing of blood vessels at the 2021 annual conference of the European Society of Cardiology “2021ESC”.

The study showed that drinking during adolescence to adolescence is related to accelerating arteriosclerosis. The more alcohol you drink, the greater the increase in arterial stiffness, which is a precursor to cardiovascular disease.

 

Alcohol in young people is related to premature aging of blood vessels

 

As we all know, as people grow older, their arteries will naturally become stiffer and less elastic. Arteriosclerosis is associated with a high risk of heart disease and stroke. Early studies have shown that certain behaviors can accelerate arteriosclerosis. For example, smoking and drinking are associated with arteriosclerosis in adolescents.

Since youth is a critical period for the beginning and heavy smoking and drinking, this study focuses on the changes in arterial stiffness between the ages of 17-24 and the relationship with these habits.

The study included 1655 participants in the ALSPAC study, aged between 17-24 years old. Measure drinking and smoking at the age of 17 and 24, and combine the results at the two time points for analysis. The arterial stiffness was measured using a non-invasive technique of cervical-femoral pulse wave velocity at the age of 17 and 24.

Drinking is divided into never, medium (no more than 4 cups a day) and high (more than 5 cups a day). Smoking is divided into never, past, medium (less than 10 cigarettes per day) and high (more than 10 cigarettes per day).

The researchers adjusted for factors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status, analyzed the association between smoking and drinking habits and changes in arterial stiffness between the ages of 17-24, and measured the participants’ BMI and blood pressure at the age of 24. , Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood sugar and C-reactive protein.

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According to statistics, between the ages of 17-24, 7% of the participants do not drink alcohol, 52% drink moderately, and 41% drink heavily. During this period, 37% of the participants did not smoke, 35% had smoked in the past, 23% smoked moderately, and 5% smoked highly.

The analysis found that from the age of 17 to 24, arterial stiffness increased by an average of 10.3%, and the increase in women was slightly higher than that in men. For every point increase in the average alcohol score, arterial stiffness increases. However, the average smoking score did not observe an increase in the grade of arterial stiffness.

In addition, among women, the increase in arterial stiffness of high-intensity smokers was greater than that of never-smokers, and there was no difference between quitters and never-smokers.

In summary, the results show that young people drink alcohol and accelerate vascular aging. The more they drink, the more severe the stiffness of the arteries. For women, heavy smoking can also cause arterial damage, and quitting smoking can restore vascular health at a young age.

The corresponding author of the study, Dr. Hugo Walford of University College London, said that alcoholism is often a student experience, and the use of e-cigarettes among young people has risen sharply. Young people may think that smoking and drinking will not cause long-term health damage. But the results of this study show that drinking and smoking may make young people start early and accelerate arteriosclerosis, and may eventually lead to heart disease and stroke.

 

(source:internet, reference only)


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