Does Alcohol Intake Increase Risk of Arrhythmias?

A recent Danish study on the connection between alcohol consumption and atrial fibrillation examined the issue among 22,528 men and 25,421 women over a six-year period. The study included a large number of cases with atrial fibrillation and in-depth information on potential confounding factors.

The results yielded a modest increase in atrial fibrillation with men drinking more than two drinks per day but there was no association found with alcohol consumption by women and a risk of atrial fibrillation. However, there are flaws to this meta-analysis due to many different factors. The study contained varying definitions for categories of alcohol consumption with the highest number of drinks varying in quantity.

There is much evidence that heavy alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation, among other health risks. Yet, there is a difference between moderate and heavy alcohol consumption, with patterns of consumption often not being addressed, but binge drinking is associated with a greater incidence of arrhythmias, namely atrial fibrillation.

While scientific evidence from many studies suggests that heavy drinking may increase the risk of atrial fibrillation, in is not likely that light-to-moderate intake increases the same risk.

Around the Web

Moderate-to-Heavy Alcohol Intake May Increase Risk of Atrial Fibrillation[Science Daily]

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