A new study indicates that excessive alcohol consumption can disrupt the heart's normal rhythm, leading to arrhythmias. These findings heighten concerns about the negative health effects of heavy drinking.
Conducted in Germany, the research builds on previous studies examining how alcohol accelerates and irregularizes heartbeats. To provide more insight into the long-known "holiday heart syndrome" (changes in heart rate during alcohol consumption), a research team monitored the heart rates of participants consuming alcohol in real time.
In the study, 193 volunteers were equipped with mobile ECG (electrocardiogram) devices before excessive alcohol consumption, tracking their heart rates during drinking (1-5 hours) and recovery (6-19 hours).
Dr. Moritz Sinner, a cardiologist from Munich's Ludwig Maximilian University, stated, "Clinically significant arrhythmias were detected in more than 5% of healthy participants, particularly during the recovery phase."
Some participants recorded heart rates exceeding 100 beats per minute. For instance, a healthy 26-year-old man developed atrial fibrillation 13 hours after drinking, lasting 79 minutes. This individual, who had no prior history of atrial fibrillation, exemplified an alcohol-triggered arrhythmia.
Four participants experienced issues with signals that regulate the heart's normal rhythm. In the most severe case, a healthy 29-year-old woman suffered a third-degree heart block lasting 15.4 seconds during recovery.
Alcohol is known to affect the body's autonomic nervous system, increasing heart rate and stress levels, but the overall impact on long-term health and disease risk is not yet fully understood.
Researchers noted, "Our data support that the effects of alcohol on the autonomic nervous system mediate arrhythmia cases. Although holiday heart syndrome is rare in healthy individuals, it should be regarded as a significant health concern."
Any change in heart rate can be triggered by factors such as the loss of a loved one or adverse drug reactions and can be dangerous. Future studies may provide more detailed information about the causes and consequences of these changes.
Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with numerous adverse health effects, including cardiovascular diseases, genetic changes, liver damage, and increased cancer risk.
Dr. Stefan Brunner, also from Munich's Ludwig Maximilian University, remarked, "Our study provides a cardiological perspective on the negative health effects of excessive alcohol consumption."
The research was published in the European Heart Journal.
