Abstract P2020: Alcohol Use and Hypertension in the Eastern Caribbean

Introduction: Hypertension (HTN) and other non-communicable diseases are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the Caribbean. The region has high rates of alcohol use and binge drinking which has been associated with adverse health outcomes like HTN. This study aimed to fill evidence gaps on the relationship between binge drinking and HTN in the Eastern Caribbean. Hypothesis: Individuals with binge drinking behaviors have higher prevalence of HTN in the Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes Research Network (ECHORN) cohort. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data (2013-2018) from the ECHORN Study (n=2961), an ongoing longitudinal study of adults conducted across four island sites. Participants completed a self-reported health survey, underwent laboratory testing and a clinical examination. The main exposure was binge drinking, defined as more than 4 alcoholic beverages for women or 5 for men in a 24-hour period. Covariates included gender, participant age, smoking status, and BMI. The outcome, HTN, was defined using JNC-7 guidelines and operationalized as a binary variable (yes/no) for inclusion in analyses. Chi-Square tests and logistic regression were used for analyses. We examined associations overall and among those under 60 years of age. Results: Analysis included 1142 participants after accounting for skip patterns. Results showed 34 percent of participants reported binge drinking in the last 30 days and 42 percent had HTN. Forty five percent of those who binge drank had HTN compared to 40 percent among those who did not (p=.18). Among those under 60 years, there was a statistically significant difference in HTN prevalence between those who binge drank and those who did not (p=0.02). Aggregate results show that those who binge drank had 53 percent greater odds (CI=1.15-2.03) of HTN compared to those who did not binge drink. Results for participants under 60 showed 63 percent greater odds of HTN compared to those who did not binge drink (CI=1.15-2.31). Conclusion: Findings showed high prevalence of binge drinking in the Eastern Caribbean and that binge drinking is positively associated with higher prevalence of HTN. The stronger association found in younger individuals is consistent with other findings. Further research is warranted to understand factors that contribute to binge drinking in this population given implications for HTN.