Key result
Elevated regular alcohol consumption of approximately two drinks per day in women and four to five in men is associated with an increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation.
Why the study?
Does alcohol consumption increase the risk of incident atrial fibrillation in the general population?
Does alcohol consumption increase the risk of incident atrial fibrillation in the general population?
While acute excesses and heavy regular alcohol consumption (≥2 drinks/day in women, ≥4-5 in men) increase the risk of incident atrial fibrillation, moderate intake does not, suggesting alcohol is not a major population-level contributor to the AF epidemic.
May warrant advising against heavy regular intake; leaves open moderate consumption's population-level AF contribution.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia worldwide. The close relationship between acute excesses of alcohol and the occurrence of AF even in healthy individuals has been known for several decades. More recently, a significant relationship has been consistently observed between elevated consumption of alcoholic beverages on a regular basis and an increased risk of developing AF. However, the amount of alcohol needed to confer an increased risk of AF is rather elevated, approximately two alcoholic beverages per day in women and four to five alcoholic beverages per day in men, suggesting that on a population level, alcohol is not a major contributor to the global AF epidemic.
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Zimmermann et al. (2012) conducted a review in Atrial fibrillation. Alcohol consumption vs. No or low alcohol consumption was evaluated on Incident atrial fibrillation. Elevated regular alcohol consumption of approximately two drinks per day in women and four to five in men is associated with an increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation.
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