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Published on: February 26, 2013
Alcohol and Atrial Fibrillation: A Sobering Review
Aleksandr Voskoboinik1, Sandeep Prabhu1, Liang-Han Ling1
1Alfred Heart Centre, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Abstract:
Alcohol is popular in Western culture, supported by a perception that modest intake is cardioprotective. However, excessive drinking has detrimental implications for cardiovascular disease. Atrial fibrillation (AF) following an alcohol binge or the "holiday heart syndrome" is well characterized. However, more modest levels of alcohol intake on a regular basis may also increase the risk of AF. The pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for the relationship between alcohol and AF may include direct toxicity and alcohol's contribution to obesity, sleep-disordered breathing, and hypertension. We aim to provide a comprehensive review of the epidemiology and pathophysiology by which alcohol may be responsible for AF and determine whether alcohol abstinence is required for patients with AF.
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