Heavy Drinking May Trigger Irregular Heart Rhythm

Atrial fibrillation can lead to stroke, heart attack, experts warn.

By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter
Thursday, May 10, 2007; 12:00 AM

Copyright © 2007 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.

THURSDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- Raising a glass too often could put heavy drinkers at risk for atrial fibrillation, a dangerous heart condition that can trip off a stroke or heart failure, British researchers warn.

Luckily, reducing alcohol consumption even a little bit makes a big difference, said the authors of a study slated for presentation Thursday at the annual meeting of the Heart Rhythm Society, in Denver.

"We can't extrapolate from this study that heavy drinking is responsible, but it certainly is an interesting finding," added Dr. Rudolph Nisi, chief of cardiology at Westchester Square Medical Center in New York City. He was not involved in the study.

The finding also underscores the importance of responsible drinking.

"Drinking in moderation . . . is safe and does not significantly increase the chances of developing new atrial fibrillation (AF)," said Dr. Joe Martins, lead author of the study and a cardiologist at the Imperial College, London. "However, drinking in excess of this was strongly associated with an increased probability of developing new AF."

Atrial fibrillation is the most common irregular heart rhythm. A recent study indicates that the problem may be even more common than previously thought. That study, appearing in the journal Circulation, estimated that 5.1 million Americans have atrial fibrillation, not 2.2 million as originally thought.

"AF is becoming an increasing public health burden," Martins said. "It is associated with a fivefold increased risk of stroke, a three-fold risk of heart failure and up to a two-fold increase risk of death."

Drinking has been associated with cardiac disease in the past, including rhythm disturbances, experts said.

There is a higher incidence of arrhythmias around the holidays, thus giving rise to so-called "Holiday Heart Syndrome," noted Dr. John P. Erwin III, assistant professor of internal medicine at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine and a cardiologist with Scott & White Hospital. "Around the holidays, when people are imbibing more than they're accustomed to, there are more people coming in with new onset atrial fibrillation," Erwin said. "So there's been a somewhat loose correlation with alcohol consumption and atrial fibrillation."