The study just published by the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM) indicated that there is an increased health risks were independent of the total amount of alcohol consumed over a lifetime, or whether or not people stopped or curtailed drinking as they matured.
According to Dr. Marcia Russell of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation’s Prevention Research Center in Berkeley, California who authored the study. “Early initiation of alcohol drinking and heavy drinking in adolescence and early adulthood seem to be associated with a number of adverse health effects collectively known as the metabolic syndrome.”
Metabolic syndrome refers to a cluster of metabolic risk factors that increase the chances of developing heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. The exact cause of the metabolic syndrome is not known, but genetic factors, to much body fat (especially around the waist) and lack of exercise increase the risk of developing the condition.
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The research in this study was based on data from the Western New York Health Study (WNYHS) which was conducted from 1996-2001. The study collected lifestyle information on more than 2,800 people who reported there were regular drinkers at one point in their lives. The study also collected data on the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its components, including obesity, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, elevated blood pressure and high fasting glucose.
The study identified lifetime drinking patterns, early peak drinking and stable drinkers. As was identified early peak drinkers stated on average 10 years younger than stable drinkers. They drank fewer and consumed less volume of alcohol but averaged more drinks per drinking day and had higher rates of episodic heavy drinking and intoxication.
The risk for increased metabolic syndrome found in the study may be associated with adverse health effects of early unhealthy drinking patterns, which were carried over to later life. In addition, early peak drinkers may have adopted other lifestyle habits detrimental to cardio-metabolic health.
