Association between changes in facial flushing and hypertension across drinking behavior patterns in South Korean adults

Abstract

Heavy alcohol drinking has been reported to be associated with hypertension. Moreover, when drinking alcohol, individuals may experience symptoms such as facial flushing. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the association between changes in facial flushing and hypertension across different drinking behavior patterns in South Korean adults. Data from the Korea Community Health Survey conducted in 2019 were used, and 118 129 (51 047 men and 67 082 women) participants were included. The participants were divided into five groups based on the change in facial flushing (non-drinking, nonflushing to non-flushing, flushing to flushing, non-flushing to flushing, flushing to nonflushing). The risk of hypertension in each facial flushing group was analyzed by multiple logistic regression.Men in the non-flushing to flushing group had a significantly higher association with hypertension than other groups (men: odds ratio (OR) 1.42, confidence interval (CI) 1. 14-1.76). According to the level of alcohol use disorder, the non-flushing to flushing group showed a significantly increased odds of hypertension compared to all levels of drinking (men: mild drinking: