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Heavy Drinking Tied to Heart Rhythm Problem in Men
Last Updated: 2005-09-13 14:50:44 -0400 (Reuters Health)
By Anthony J. Brown, MD
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Men who consume 35 or more alcoholic drinks
per week are 45 percent more likely to experience atrial fibrillation, a
heart rhythm problem, than their peers who consume less than one drink
per week, new research shows.
The same probably holds true in women, but no firm conclusions could be
reached because there weren't enough women in the study who were
classified as heavy drinkers.
Atrial fibrillation is a common problem in which the upper chambers of
the heart beat erratically. Because blood does not empty from the
chambers as it should, clots can form, which, if dislodged and passed to
the brain, can cause a stroke. For this reason, patients with atrial
fibrillation are often treated with blood thinners as well as with
medications to slow down the rapid heart rate.
Previous evidence on drinking and atrial fibrillation "has been all over
the map," lead author Dr. Kenneth J. Mukamal, from Beth Israel Deaconess
Medical Center in Boston, told Reuters Health. "I think the clinical
assumption has always been that if there is a higher risk of atrial
fibrillation among alcohol drinkers, it is among people who drink a lot.
Our results confirm this belief."
The findings, which appear in American Heart Association's journal
Circulation, are based on analysis of data from 16,415 men and women who
participated in the Copenhagen City Heart Study, a population-based
study that began in 1976. During follow-up, a total of 1071 new cases of
atrial fibrillation occurred.
As noted, heavy alcohol consumption was associated with a significantly
increased risk of atrial fibrillation in men. Moreover, the researchers
estimate that about 5 percent of atrial fibrillation cases in men were
due to heavy alcohol use.
There was no evidence that one type of alcoholic beverage was any more
culpable than another in raising atrial fibrillation risk, Mukamal
noted. However, he added that it was difficult to sort out the effects
of each beverage since most heavy drinkers did not stick to just one type.
Asked if the present study provides the "final word" on the link between
alcohol use and atrial fibrillation, Mukamal said, "It is certainly the
largest study to look at this topic and I think this is probably as good
as can be done."
The take-home message from this study and others seems to be "don't
expect any benefit or risk from moderate drinking, but expect an
elevated risk of atrial fibrillation with heavy drinking," he concluded.
SOURCE: Circulation, online September 13, 2005.
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