Researchers found that adults who drank heavily in their teenage years and young adulthood were more likely to have metabolic syndrome—a grouping of risk factors for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, including abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, low levels of “good” HDL cholesterol, high blood sugar, and high triglycerides, a type of blood fat. While moderate drinking can be heart-healthy—helping to boost HDL levels, for example—excessive drinking is not. The new findings suggest that drinking heavily early in life might contribute to metabolic syndrome later on. “There are already many reasons for encouraging young people to avoid heavy drinking,” one researcher said. “Long-term health consequences, such as an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, may be another.”