Heavy drinking causes male heart problems

NEW YORK - Men who consume 35 or more alcoholic drinks per week are 45 per cent 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 the Danish population studied did not include enough women 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," said lead author Dr Kenneth J. Mukamal, from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre in Boston.

"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 the American Heart Association's journal Circulation, are based on analysis of data from 16,415 men and women who took part 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. The researchers estimate that about 5 per cent of atrial fibrillation cases in men were due to heavy alcohol use.

There was no evidence that one type of drink was any more culpable than another. But Dr Mukamal said it was difficult to sort out the effects of each beverage since most heavy drinkers did not stick to just one type.

The message from this study and others seemed to be: "don't expect any benefit or risk from moderate drinking, but expect an elevated risk of atrial fibrillation with heavy drinking."

- REUTERS