One alcoholic drink a day can lead to this serious illness, say researchers

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Bartender squeezing a cocktail from orange peel

Maybe it’s time to cut down on your favorite cocktail.

According to a study published in the European Heart Journal, moderate alcohol consumption was linked to an increased risk of atrial fibrillation. Otherwise known as AFib, chronic disease is defined by the American Heart Association (AHA) as “a shaky or irregular heartbeat that can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure, and other complications. cardiac ”.

What else did the study reveal?

The researchers looked at data from nearly 108,000 adults from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Italy over a 28-year period. The volunteers, who entered the study at the average age of 48, underwent routine checks where they offered a range of personal information, such as medical history and lifestyle, including alcohol consumption. (Related: 100 most unhealthy foods on the planet.)

At mid-point (around year 14), 5,854 men and women developed AF. In fact, the association of alcohol and AFib has been observed for all types of alcoholic beverages – wine, beer, and spirits. The researchers found that those who drank an average of one alcoholic beverage per day (about 4 ounces of wine, 11 ounces of beer, or 1.3 ounces of alcohol) showed a 16% increased risk of this cardiovascular disease compared to adults who do not drink alcohol.

And the more we drank, the more the chances of being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation increased. Two drinks per day was linked to a 28% increased risk, and one person who consumed four or more alcoholic drinks per day faces a 47% increased risk.

Doesn’t red wine offer a host of health benefits?

Interestingly, a number of studies over the years have touted wine as a heart healthy choice. A 2019 study published in the journal Molecules found that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phenolic compounds in red wine may help prevent cardiovascular disease. In addition, professors at Louisiana State University announced in 2018 that they were developing stents (tiny tubes inserted into a blocked narrow artery) made from resveratrol and quercetin – two antioxidants naturally found in red wine – to prevent blood clotting and inflammation.

“In conclusion, we were a little surprised to find that neither overall alcohol consumption – nor wine consumption in particular – was protective. [of AFib] if consumed in low doses because they have been reported to protect against, for example, heart attacks, ”says Professor Renate Schnabel, lead author of the study and consultant cardiologist at the University Heart and Vascular Center from Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany. Eat this, not that!

“However, previous reports already suggested that there may not be a beneficial effect for atrial fibrillation, but did not have enough potency to look at very low regular alcohol consumption. Our large study could now demonstrate that there may not be a threshold below which alcohol consumption can be protective. “

Schnabel points out that he and his team weren’t aware of the type of wine the participants were drinking, however. In addition, other elements related to the consumption of wine, such as socio-economic status, lifestyle habits and nutrition, also play a role in heart health.

“Therefore, factors other than the type of alcohol itself may have led to inconsistent associations in different studies,” he adds.

How common is atrial fibrillation and what can you do to prevent it?

The AHA says at least 2.7 million Americans are currently living with AF. According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this heart disease is the cause of more than 454,000 hospitalizations each year in the United States, and the agency calculates that 12.1 million Americans will likely be diagnosed with atrial fibrillation by 2030.

An editorial written by two professors at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada regarding this latest research in Europe suggests that the link between low alcohol consumption and atrial fibrillation needs to be investigated.

“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,” the authors wrote.

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