Cardiovascular and aortic wave reflection responses to evening binge alcohol consumption

Evening binge alcohol consumption contributes to sleep disruption and autonomic dysregulation that persists into the following morning. However, its impact on morning after arterial stiffness and aortic wave reflection remains unknown. Using a randomized, crossover, and fluid-controlled design, we hypothesized that heart rate (HR), carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), aortic augmentation index (AIx), and aortic pulsatile load (APL) would be increased acutely after binge drinking at night (Study 1) and the morning-after binge drinking (Study 2). Participants [n = 33; 18 females, 15 males; aged 25 ± 1 yr; body mass index (BMI): 27 ± 1 kg/m²] completed binge alcohol (equivalent to 4-5 drinks) and fluid control protocols. Study 1 examined cardiovascular responses during resting baseline and within 30 min of evening alcohol consumption, whereas Study 2 examined cardiovascular responses within 15 min of waking the morning-after binge alcohol or fluid control. In Study 1, HR and APL increased after the final dose of alcohol (P < 0.001) but decreased with fluid control. In Study 2, morning HR (63 ± 2 vs. 57 ± 1 beats/min; P < 0.001), APL (2,060 ± 82 vs. 1,857 ± 66 a.u.; P = 0.012), and AIx normalized to 75 beats/min (AIx@75) (6.5 ± 2.4 vs. 2.9 ± 2.5%; P = 0.042) were increased, whereas unadjusted AIx was unchanged, after binge alcohol compared with fluid control. cfPWV was not altered by binge alcohol acutely (Study 1) or the morning after (Study 2). Our results indicate evening binge alcohol consumption elicited acute increases in HR and APL, and morning-after increases in HR, APL, and AIx@75. These findings highlight physiological mechanisms that might contribute to well-documented associations between binge alcohol consumption and heightened cardiovascular risk.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Increases in aortic wave reflection and aortic pulsatile load are known contributors to hypertension, cardiovascular risk, and pulsatile stress to end organs. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that evening binge alcohol consumption increases heart rate, aortic pulsatile load, and aortic augmentation index the following morning when compared with fluid control. These findings highlight the deleterious overnight cardiovascular effects of binge alcohol consumption in young adults.