Past medical history, medications and lifestyle habits were assessed through chart reviews and patient interviews. Patients in the study were 64 years old on average the majority were white (85%) or male (80%). Researchers enrolled 100 patients with paroxysmal or intermittent AFib, which tends to go away within a short period of time (unlike chronic AFib). Over time, AFib can lead to heart failure, stroke and dementia if untreated. AFib also results in costly use of health care services, including visits to the emergency department, hospitalizations and procedures each year. 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 that people can experience a range of symptoms. It is often characterized by a rapid, chaotic and fluttery heartbeat. “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.”ĪFib is the most common heart rhythm disorder. Marcus, MD, cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and the study’s lead author. “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. Evidence from those sensors also demonstrated that the total alcohol concentration over time also predicted the chance AFib would occur. Using an alcohol sensor placed on participants’ ankles, which passively monitored alcohol intake, the investigators found that every 0.1% increase in inferred blood alcohol concentration over the previous 12 hours was associated with an approximate 40% higher odds of an AFib episode. Among people having two or more drinks in one sitting, there was a more than threefold higher chance of experiencing AFib. The data revealed that just one glass of wine, beer or other alcoholic beverage was associated with twofold greater odds of an episode of AFib occurring within the next four hours. 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 at the American College of Cardiology’s 70 th Annual Scientific Session.
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