Doctors & patients are saying about 'A-Fib.com'...
"A-Fib.com is a great web site for patients, that is unequaled by anything else out there."
Dr. Douglas L. Packer, MD, FHRS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
"Jill and I put you and your work in our prayers every night. What you do to help people through this [A-Fib] process is really incredible."
Jill and Steve Douglas, East Troy, WI
“I really appreciate all the information on your website as it allows me to be a better informed patient and to know what questions to ask my EP.
Faye Spencer, Boise, ID, April 2017
“I think your site has helped a lot of patients.”Dr. Hugh G. Calkins, MD Johns Hopkins,
Baltimore, MD
Familial A-Fib Alert: Does Just One Drink Per Day Increase A-Fib Risk?
For those with A-Fib, it’s now known that your blood relations are at increased risk of developing A-Fib (Familial Atrial Fibrillation). Consider sharing this research with them.
More Research: Alcohol and Atrial Fibrillation
In a huge European observational study over 14 years, just one alcohol drink a day was linked to a 16% increased risk of developing A-Fib. For 14 years, 108,000 Europeans were followed (participants joined between 1982 and 2010). They were from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Italy. Median age was 48 years.
None of them had A-Fib at the start of the study. Participants were asked to indicate how often they consumed beer, wine, and spirits as well as their drinking pattern. They also provided information on their medical histories, lifestyles (including alcohol and tobacco use), employment, and education levels.
Does Alcohol Cause A-Fib?
Alcohol: Does one drink a day matter?
This study didn’t say that alcohol causes A-Fib but only that there is an association.
One caveat of this study is that, despite much research, the mechanism of how or why moderate drinking increases the risk of A-Fib was not identified.
The risk of A-Fib increased with alcohol intake of more than 1/day.
(Other studies have shown that low doses of alcohol are associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart failure.)
Binge vs Moderate Drinking
Many patients end up with heart palpations after celebrating three-day holiday weekends. Called “Holiday Heart Syndrome”, doctors in hospital emergency rooms know all too well that binge drinking produces A-Fib in some people.
But up to now, moderate alcohol consumption was considered not just benign but heart helpful.
Familial A-Fib: Weigh the Risks of Moderate Drinking
While a 16% risk of developing A-Fib is small, it is something you and your family should be concerned about.
Those with A-Fib and those without A-Fib need to ask themselves if the risk of A-Fib is outweighed by the benefits of moderate drinking?
You should also consider your quality of life. Having a drink with your golfing buddies or a party with your girl friends may be more socially important than becoming a teetotaler.
But for those at increased risk of developing A-Fib, it’s something you should discuss with your doctor.
Familial A-Fib: Recent studies suggest that up to 30 percent of all people with atrial fibrillation may have a history of the condition in their family.
To learn more, see my Top 5 Articles about Inherited (Familial) A-Fib.
