Immediate and Complex Cardiovascular Adaptation to an Acute Alcohol Dose

Background The detrimental effects of chronic heavy alcohol use on the cardiovascular system are well established and broadly appreciated. Integrated cardiovascular response to an acute dose of alcohol has been less studied. This study examined the early effects of an acute dose of alcohol on the ca...

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Published in:Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research clinical and experimental research, 2015-12, Vol.39 (12), p.2334-2344
Main Authors: Buckman, Jennifer F., Eddie, David, Vaschillo, Evgeny G., Vaschillo, Bronya, Garcia, Aaron, Bates, Marsha E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Physiological - drug effects
Adaptation, Physiological - physiology
Adult
Baroreflex
Baroreflex - drug effects
Baroreflex - physiology
Blood Pressure
Blood Pressure - drug effects
Blood Pressure - physiology
Ethanol - administration & dosage
Female
Heart Rate - drug effects
Heart Rate - physiology
Heart Rate Variability
Humans
Intoxication
Male
Photic Stimulation - methods
Psychomotor Performance - drug effects
Psychomotor Performance - physiology
Vascular Tone
Young Adult
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Summary:Background The detrimental effects of chronic heavy alcohol use on the cardiovascular system are well established and broadly appreciated. Integrated cardiovascular response to an acute dose of alcohol has been less studied. This study examined the early effects of an acute dose of alcohol on the cardiovascular system, with particular emphasis on system variability and sensitivity. The goal was to begin to understand how acute alcohol disrupts dynamic cardiovascular regulatory processes prior to the development of cardiovascular disease. Methods Healthy participants (N = 72, age 21 to 29) were randomly assigned to an alcohol, placebo, or no‐alcohol control beverage condition. Beat‐to‐beat heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) were assessed during a low‐demand cognitive task prior to and following beverage consumption. Between‐group differences in neurocardiac response to an alcohol challenge (blood alcohol concentration ~ 0.06 mg/dl) were tested. Results The alcohol beverage group showed higher average HR, lower average stroke volume, lower HR variability and BP variability, and increased vascular tone baroreflex sensitivity after alcohol consumption. No changes were observed in the placebo group, but the control group showed slightly elevated average HR and BP after beverage consumption, possibly due to juice content. At the level of the individual, an active alcohol dose appeared to disrupt the typically tight coupling between cardiovascular processes. Conclusions A dose of alcohol quickly invoked multiple cardiovascular responses, possibly as an adaptive reaction to the acute pharmacological challenge. Future studies should assess how exposure to alcohol acutely disrupts or dissociates typically integrated neurocardiac functions. Graphical depiction of the relationships between pre‐ to postbeverage changes in heart rate and stroke volume (top panel), heart rate and pulse transit time (middle panel) and stroke volume and pulse transit time (bottom panel) in each participant.
ISSN:0145-6008
1530-0277
1530-0277
DOI:10.1111/acer.12912