Consumption of alcoholic beverages and Atrial Fibrillation

Commentary and analysis by Prof. Nicolai Worm (WIC chair).

Headlines recently reported “One small drink a day raises risk of irregular heartbeat”.

These reports were based on a study, which found that - even though a moderate amount of alcohol can protect against heart failure - drinking the equivalent of a small glass of wine or beer per day was linked to an increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). The researchers assessed the drinking habits and the heart health of almost 108,000 individuals from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Italy. Individuals consuming one drink a day were on average 16% more likely to develop the AF, than those who did not drink.  Such increased risk refers to the relative risk, the absolute risk of an irregular heartbeat (AF) from consuming a small glass of wine per day is small, as indicated by the authors.

What is atrial fibrillation and which is its relation with alcoholic beverages?

Read the full article on Wine Information Council* website.