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Bad news for those who enjoy a drink – just one small glass of alcohol a day can cause an irregular heartbeat, research shows.
The benefits of moderate alcohol consumption have long been debated, with previous studies suggesting that an occasional drink of red improves heart health, while too much can have serious cardiovascular consequences.
To find out more, scientists at the University Heart and Vascular Center in Hamburg analyzed the alcohol consumption of nearly 108,000 people, who were followed for about 14 years.
The results suggest that consuming just one alcoholic drink per day increases the risk of atrial fibrillation by 16%, compared with total abstention.
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Atrial fibrillation is defined as an irregular and often abnormally rapid heart rate, an uncomfortable condition that can lead to strokes in severe cases.
While it’s not known why alcohol can trigger this, small amounts of wine, beer, or spirits have been linked to episodes of irregular heartbeat.
“To our knowledge, this is the largest study on alcohol consumption and the long-term incidence of atrial fibrillation in the community,” said lead author Professor Renate Schnabel.
“Previous studies have not had enough power to examine this question, although they may have shown a relationship between alcohol consumption and other heart and vascular problems, such as heart attacks and heart failure. cardiac.
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“In our study, we can now demonstrate that even very low regular alcohol consumption can increase the risk of atrial fibrillation.
“These results are important because the regular consumption of alcohol, the ‘one glass of wine a day’ to protect the heart, as is often recommended for example in the layman press, probably should no longer be suggested without balancing the risks and the possible benefits for all heart and vascular diseases, including atrial fibrillation. “
Watch: Moderate drinking increases risk of atrial fibrillation
The scientists analyzed more than 107,800 people who participated in studies in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Italy between 1982 and 2010.
Just over 100,000 participants, an average of 48 years old, did not have atrial fibrillation at the start of the research.
Over the next 14 years, more than 5,800 developed the disease.
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The results – published in the European Heart Journal – suggest that drinking one glass of alcohol per day increased participants’ risk of atrial fibrillation by 16%, regardless of what type of drink they indulged in.
Drinking up to two alcoholic beverages a day increased the risk of atrial fibrillation by 28%, to 47% for those who consumed more than four, the results imply.
The results were similar between male and female participants.
Scientists have defined a drink as containing 12 g of ethanol, the chemical compound in alcohol. This is equivalent to a small glass of wine (120 ml), a small beer (330 ml) or 40 ml of spirits.
Scientists pointed out that participants reported their own alcohol consumption, which may therefore be inaccurate.
While atrial fibrillation often causes palpitations, it can also be asymptomatic, which can go unnoticed.
Scientists also did not take into account the effects of excessive alcohol consumption.
In an accompanying editorial, a team from McMaster University in Canada said the Hamburg research “makes an important contribution to our understanding of the relationship between alcohol consumption and the AF incident. [atrial fibrillation], especially in the lower spectrum of alcohol consumption.
“A significant relationship between alcohol and AF has been identified, and even small amounts of alcohol were associated with an increased, albeit low, risk of an AF incident.
“With a recent randomized trial showing that a reduction in alcohol consumption led to a reduction in AF recurrence, these data suggest that reducing alcohol consumption may be important for both prevention and management of AF.
“It is important to note that any reduction in low to moderate alcohol consumption to potentially prevent AF must be balanced with the potentially beneficial association that low amounts of alcohol may have relative to other cardiovascular outcomes.
“The net clinical benefit of consuming small amounts of alcohol requires further study, ideally in sufficiently powerful randomized trials.”
They added, “Until then, each individual must make their own informed decision as to whether consuming up to one alcoholic beverage per day is valid and safe.”
Watch: Atrial fibrillation symptoms and treatments
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