BINGE BOOZING LINK TO IRREGULAR HEARTBEATS

ONE night of binge-drinking is enough to trigger a dangerous, irregular heartbeat, it is claimed.

American researchers found that more people were admitted to hospital with atrial fibrillation, as the condition is known medically, at times when large quantities of alcohol are usually consumed, such as New Year’s Eve and the Super Bowl final.

Atrial fibrillation, which affects roughly 1.4 million Britons, happens when the nerves in the heart misfire, triggering an irregular or abnormally fast heartbeat that causes dizziness or shortness of breath. Over time this can cause blood to pool and clot inside the heart, which can trigger a lifethreatening stroke.

According to a study presented by doctors from the University of California, San Francisco, there were on average 1,757 more hospital admissions in the US related to a first episode of atrial fibrillation on these sorts of days, compared with days which were not associated with binge drinking.

Previous studies have linked excessive alcohol consumption to atrial fibrillation. While doctors are still not certain why it can trigger the condition, it is thought that alcohol fuels nerve activity in the organ, increasing the risk of misfiring.

The doctors claimed this research shows that for patients already at risk of developing the condition, a single drinking binge can be enough to trigger it.

Consultant cardiologist Dr Malcolm Finlay said: ‘Anyone with underlying conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, which make them predisposed to atrial fibrillation, should avoid big swigs of booze.’