One Problem with Moderate Alcohol Intake . . .

We have repeatedly extolled the health benefits of mild to moderate alcohol consumption (that’s one drink a day for women, two drinks a day for men). There have been numerous studies supporting this concept – even the advantage of raised blood alcohol levels in brain injury.

In the spirit of ‘equal time’, I must present a counter-argument. Daily and moderate drinking increases the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), according to a report presented at the recent Heart Rhythm Society meeting. Two studies, one each from the UK and the USA, reported the increased risk of AF in people who drink. The uncertainty lies, as always, in the amount drunk daily. Overall, the US study showed that people who drank one or more drinks daily had a 2½ times greater risk of having AF or atrial flutter (a similar condition to AF, but there is less irregularity of rhythm – the ventricles contract once with every two or three atrial contractions). Even at the recommended limit of 1-2 drinks a day, there was an increased risk of atrial flutter.

There were similar findings in the second study. The cardiologists recommend that AF patients (and flutter patients?) should avoid binge drinking, and cut their daily consumption back, too.