*Experts discovered that consumers do not need to be heavy drinkers to experience heart health risks

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

Researchers from the University of California at San Francisco, in the United States (US), in fresh study conducted by explored the heart health risks associated with alcohol consumption.

The study findings indicated that having just a drink can immediately increase the risk of atrial fibrillation in consumers.

Dr. Gregory Marcus, one of the researchers, said: 鈥淐ommon to contrary belief that atrial fibrillation is associated with heavy alcohol consumption, it appears that even one alcohol drink may be enough to increase the risk.

鈥淥ur results show that the occurrence of atrial fibrillation might be neither random nor unpredictable.

鈥淚nstead, there may be identifiable and modifiable ways of preventing an acute heart arrhythmia episode.鈥�

On how alcohol can affect heart rate for the study, the experts had 100 atrial fibrillation patients wear an electrocardiogram (ECG) for four weeks.

All of the participants reported having at least one alcoholic drink per month before the study started.

Over the course of the study, they recorded every time they drank alcohol by pressing a button on the ECG device.

According to the researchers, the study showed that alcohol increased the risk of an atrial fibrillation episode, and the more the participants drank, the higher the risk of atrial fibrillation.

Having two or more drinks within four hours made atrial fibrillation three times more likely. Having just a drink made the condition twice as likely, they submitted.

Although the researchers stated it鈥檚 unclear how consumers without a history of atrial fibrillation would respond to alcohol, the findings yet highlight the risks that alcohol poses to those with preexisting heart conditions or concerns.

鈥淭he effects seem to be fairly linear: the more alcohol consumed, the higher the risk of an acute AF event.

鈥淭hese observations mirror what has been reported by patients for decades, but this is the first objective, measurable evidence that a modifiable exposure may acutely influence the chance that an AF episode will occur,鈥� said Dr. Marcus.

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