Lack of sleep, caffeine, age… Several factors can be associated with the occurrence of cardiac arrhythmia. But the real danger would be alcohol, according to an American study.
- The treatment of cardiac arrhythmias can be medicinal (beta-blockers, antiarrhythmics, etc.) or surgery (an electric shock, the installation of a pacemaker, etc.).
- In France, alcohol consumption is the cause of 49,000 deaths per year. In Europe, it is responsible for more than 7% of illnesses and premature deaths.
This is its third edition in France. The “Dry January” or “January Challenge” began on January 1, just after the end of year celebrations. This challenge, launched in 2013 by the British association Alcohol Change UK, consists of not drinking a drop of alcohol until the end of the month. This challenge allows you to take stock of your consumption and see the benefits of a life without alcohol. Because yes, we know it: this psychotropic substance has many negative effects on the body. Proof : a study, published in the journal JAMA Cardiology in Novemberrevealed that alcohol was the only factor associated with episodes of cardiac arrhythmia or atrial fibrillation.
Alcohol is the only trigger for heart arrhythmia
To reach this conclusion, a team of researchers from the University of California at San Francisco, in the United States, carried out their work with 466 people. Participants used an electrocardiogram recording device and a mobile app to score factors that may trigger a disturbance in their heart rhythm. Among them were alcohol and caffeine consumption, lack of sleep, large meals, dehydration, a special diet or the practice of physical activity.
Contrary to what one might think, coffee consumption and lack of sleep were not the cause of heart rhythm dysregulation, according to the authors of the work. No association between arrhythmia and the other factors studied was also observed. On the other hand, the study singled out alcohol. “Only alcohol consumption was associated with significantly increased risks of episodes of atrial fibrillation”, can we read in the searches.
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