a single serving of alcohol can elevate the odds of atrial fibrillation almost immediately, according to a new study that dispels the myth that drinking is good for the heart.
the research,
published in the annals of internal medicine
, offers the first evidence that just one alcoholic beverage can swiftly and significantly increase the likelihood of an irregular heartbeat. while the sample size is small and the study does have some limitations, people with a history of heart disease may want to watch to see if the conclusions are backed up in future research.
previous study has found chronic alcohol abuse to be a predictor of af, but this research indicates it also increases the chance of a first diagnosis of an atrial arrhythmia.
“contrary to a common belief that atrial fibrillation is associated with heavy alcohol consumption, it appears that even one alcohol drink may be enough to increase the risk,”
said gregory marcus
, an author of the study and professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at the university of california san francisco.
“our results show that the occurrence of atrial fibrillation might be neither random nor unpredictable. instead, there may be identifiable and modifiable ways of preventing an acute heart arrhythmia episode.”