Regular alcohol, coffee consumption can cause irregular heartbeat
August 31st, 2009 - 2:53 pm ICT by ANILondon, Aug 31 (ANI): Two recently presented studies have suggested that the intake of over ten alcoholic drinks in a week or four cups of strong coffee everyday could increase a person’s risk of developing an irregular heartbeat.
According to reports on the studies, alcohol and caffeine intake can increase the chances of developing an abnormal heart rhythm, known as atrial fibrillation, which greatly increases the risk of having a stroke, heart attack or other cardiac problems.
In the first study, involving 8,830 men and women in Britain, Scandinavia and the US, the researchers found that those who drank the equivalent of ten standard drinks - about 15 units a week - had an 80 per cent increased risk of being diagnosed with the condition within five years.
The Department of Health has suggested that men should drink no more than 21 units of alcohol a week, and women no more than 14.
Inger Ariansen, who led the study at Oslo University Hospital, advised that ten standard drinks could be regarded as a threshold for increased risk of atrial fibrillation.
The second study, carried out by researchers at the University of Modena, found that drinking more than the equivalent of four espresso shots a day could increase the risk of arrhythmias in people without known heart disease.
And the condition could develop in such individuals even if they otherwise had a healthy diet.
Peter Weissberg, medical director of the British Heart Foundation, has said that the recommended limits for drinking alcohol a week were formulated to avoid the risk of liver disease and other drink-related health problems.
“But there is no doubt that some patients are more susceptible to the effects of alcohol on the heart and it may be that a subset of people who metabolise alcohol differently are at increased risk of atrial fibrillation,” Times Online quoted Weissberg as saying.
He added that he was not aware of any direct evidence that drinking caffeine increased the risk of atrial fibrillation, “but it wouldn’t be surprising if you found that”.
A presentation on the findings was made at the European Society of Cardiology congress in Barcelona. (ANI)
- Moderate-to-heavy alcohol intake may increase risk of abnormal heart rhythm - Feb 15, 2011
- Measuring oxidative stress may help predict atrial fibrillation risk - Apr 05, 2011
- Healthy lifestyles could halve cases of atrial fibrillation - Mar 29, 2011
- Now, a device to shield cardiac patients from stroke - Mar 28, 2012
- Diabetes linked to irregular heartbeat - Apr 23, 2010
- Irregular heart beat plus stroke may increase dementia risk - Mar 08, 2011
- Arthritis invites higher risk of heart attacks - Mar 09, 2012
- Increasing coffee intake 'doubles stroke risk' - Dec 12, 2010
- Wine's role ambiguous in protecting heart - Jan 31, 2012
- Caffeinated drinks linked to increased risk of gout attacks - Nov 08, 2010
- Two new drugs can slash stroke risk - Jan 11, 2011
- Caffeine use may help overcome dry eye syndrome - Apr 19, 2012
- Extra cup of coffee can double stroke risk - Dec 12, 2010
- Yoga reduces irregular heartbeat and anxiety - Apr 04, 2011
- Take care with 'energy shot' drinks - Mar 01, 2010
Tags: abnormal heart rhythm, alcoholic drinks, arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation, british heart foundation, caffeine intake, cardiac problems, coffee consumption, direct evidence, drinking alcohol, effects of alcohol, effects of alcohol on the heart, healthy diet, irregular heartbeat, liver disease, no doubt, oslo university, related health, standard drinks, weissberg