Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation initiated by a binge drinking pattern, but not by acute alcohol intake, in female and male adolescents.

Excessive alcohol consumption is a worldwide public health problem, being adolescents and young adults the population most affected by this problem. The aim of this study was to clarify the effects of having a history of binge drinking (BD) and/or acute alcohol consumption on the stress response in female and male adolescents. Participants were 235 adolescents (143 females and 92 males). Cortisol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), heart rate (HR) and perceived stress (PS) were evaluated in adolescents with different and similar blood alcohol concentrations (BAC). In Experiment 1, the effects of alcohol were studied separately in females and males because of differences in BAC. In Experiment 2, a direct comparison between sexes was carried out in a counterbalanced selection of participants with similar BAC. In Experiment 1, females receiving alcohol showed an increase in cortisol and HR, and binge drinkers displayed higher HR than refrainers. Male refrainers receiving alcohol showed higher HR, and binge drinkers showed higher cortisol and SBP than refrainers. In Experiment 2, similar results were observed and sex differences were evident, with males showing higher cortisol and SBP, and lower PS than females. In conclusion, the normal response of the adolescent HPA axis to alcohol consumption is an increase in cortisol levels in females, as well as HR in both sexes. In addition, a history of BD is associated with HPA axis dysregulation, which is manifested by higher values of cortisol (independently of sex), SBP in male and HR in female healthy adolescents.