Alcohol appears to have an immediate- or near-immediate effect on heart rhythm, significantly increasing the chance that an episode of atrial fibrillation (AFib) will occur, according to new data presented by the researchers at American College of Cardiology. The data revealed that just one glass of wine, beer or other alcoholic beverage was associated with two fold greater odds of an episode of AFib occurring within the next four hours. Among people having two or more drinks in one sitting, there was a more than three fold higher chance of experiencing AFib.
"Alcohol is the most commonly consumed drug in the world, and there is still a lot we don't understand about what it does to our bodies and, in particular, our hearts," said Gregory M. Marcus, MD, cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of California, and the study's lead author. "Based on our data, we found that alcohol can acutely influence the likelihood that an episode of AFib will occur within a few hours, and the more alcohol consumed, the higher the risk of having an event," Marcus added. AFib is the most common heart rhythm disorder. It is often characterized by a rapid, chaotic and fluttery heartbeat. Marcus said that people can experience a range of symptoms. Some may not feel anything, while others are overcome with severe shortness of breath, fatigue, fainting or near-fainting spells and a disconcerting sensation that the heart is beating out of control.
Marcus said there may be other factors such as race/ethnicity, sex, genetics or other environmental exposures that influence alcohol's effect on the heart in various ways and need to be studied. In addition, people often pair alcohol with foods that are high in sodium, while some pour a drink because they feel stressed, so there may be other things that play a role. The findings also run counter to previous reports about the potentially protective role of alcohol on heart health when used in moderation.
"There is conventional wisdom that alcohol is 'good' or 'healthy' for the heart, based on observational studies, but that relates to coronary heart disease and heart attack. These new data present an interesting conundrum regarding the overall risks versus benefits of alcohol in moderation," Marcus said. But the data is very clear that more is not better when it comes to alcohol; those who drink more have a higher risk of heart attack and death, as per the research.
Marcus added that this situation is a perfect example where precision medicine may play a clinically relevant role to help identify which patients are at high risk for alcohol-related AFib. Those who are not at high risk of the harmful effects of alcohol might yet benefit from moderate alcohol consumption as another way to potentially protect them from coronary blockages and disease.
