Heavy Drinking in College May Harm Heart

But moderate amounts of alcohol could be healthy, study shows

By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter
Thursday, April 19, 2007; 12:00 AM

Copyright © 2007 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.

THURSDAY, April 19 (HealthDay News) -- Heavy drinking during the college years takes it toll on the heart, research suggests.

In a new study, college students who regularly drank to excess had above-normal levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a blood marker for systemic inflammation long linked to cardiovascular illness.

But the news was not all bad. Moderate drinkers actually had lower, healthier CRP readings than those who drank little or no alcohol, the study found.

"In a sense, I was surprised," said study co-author Elizabeth Donovan, an undergraduate biology and nutrition science major at the College of Saint Benedict (CSB) in St. Joseph, Mich.

"Although in older people high C-reactive protein levels are associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, I wasn't so sure this would apply to a younger population," she noted. "But if C-reactive protein levels are predictive of future risk for cardiovascular disease twenty or thirty years down the road, then it appears college-age individuals may be beginning this dangerous pattern -- which is a clear reason to be concerned about heavy drinking."

Donovan conducted her research with faculty advisor and co-author Amy Olsen, a professor of nutrition. They are presenting their findings in Chicago this week at the American Heart Association's Conference on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), CRP levels rise when body-wide inflammation kicks in following an injury or infection. Inflammation is thought to play a critical role in atherosclerosis, the build-up of fatty deposits on the lining of the arteries.

Although the exact link, if any, between high CRP levels and heart disease remains unclear, an AHA review of recent studies suggests that patients with elevated CRP are more likely to suffer an initial or recurrent heart attack or stroke. They are also less likely to survive these attacks. As well, high CRP levels raise the risk that arteries will close back up following surgical intervention.