What is more harmful for heart - to drink a lot on weekends or every day but little?

October 22, 2019  19:33

The rhythm of drinking alcohol can affect the likelihood of severe heart rhythm disturbances, the authors of a new study published in the EP Eurospace magazine found out.

A study by specialists from the Korea University College of Medicine showed that atrial fibrillation is more likely to develop in people who drink every day (even if only a little) than those who like to drink on the weekend.

This means that drinking 12-24 g of pure alcohol per day increases the risk of developing arrhythmia more than drinking on weekends.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm disorder. It increases the risk of stroke by 5 times. Its symptoms include a frequent or irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, and dizziness.

Previous studies have already found a connection between alcohol consumption and atrial fibrillation: the risk increases by 8% for every 12 g of alcohol per week. However, it was unclear what was more dangerous - to drink a lot and rarely or a little and regularly.

Scientists analyzed data from nearly 10 million people and found that people who drank daily had the highest risk of developing arrhythmia among all other participants of the study. Those who drank only once a week had the lowest risk, even if they drank more than 60 g of pure alcohol.

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