Does the Holiday Heart Syndrome Extend to the Ventricles?

The relationship between alcohol consumption and cardiovascular health is complex. While observational studies have consistently revealed a J-shaped association between alcohol and cardiovascular mortality,1 the most compelling and consistent evidence in the realm of alcohol and cardiology falls in the category of cardiac electrophysiology: specifically, that alcohol heightens the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). Whether chronic consumption is assessed as a predictor of the eventual diagnosis of the disease2 or acute consumption is evaluated as a harbinger of a discrete AF episodes only a few hours later,3 more alcohol is associated with a higher AF risk.
Source: Heart Rhythm - Category: Cardiology Authors: Source Type: research