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Science of swooning

by Medindia Content Team on Feb 6 2002 11:27 AM

Blackouts after a couple of drinks is a common problem for heavy drinkers and the scientist have found a solution which was a mystery until now.It may support the potentialities of a night out.

Researchers at the University of Ohio College of Medicine and the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota say the effect of alcohol on blood vessels is to be accused. They found, in a study of healthy young adults, that blood vessels do not strengthen so effectively after drinking, causing low blood pressure which can be responsible for blackouts.

The research was carried out on 23 men and one woman, with an average age of 28, who stretch out in a metal cylinder while a vacuum was applied to it to lower the pressure on their bodies. This assumed the gravitational stress of standing up. Blood flow in their forearms was measured at four different gravitational levels after having a non-alcoholic drink to determine how much their blood vessels tightened in response to a drop in blood pressure.

The tests were then repeated on another day after the subjects had drunk two to three beers. During the alcohol-free tests, vessels constricted normally and blood pressure did not significantly change, except with extreme negative pressure. After drinking alcohol, blood pressure dropped substantially, proving the theory.


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