Guest guest Posted October 22, 2004 Report Share Posted October 22, 2004 I got plenty of opposition the last time I said alcohol was deeply tied to AF. Here is a new study which confirms this connection. This link is to heart center online . Regard http://www.heartcenteronline.com/myheartdr/home/research-detail.cfm? reutersid=4765 & nl=4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 22, 2004 Report Share Posted October 22, 2004 In a message dated 10/22/04 9:32:36 PM Pacific Daylight Time, sander@... writes: > So anyway, there seems to be at least a 'supposed' link between alcohol and > AF with medical personel. > > Sander, You're right. Every doctor with whom I have spoken has believed in a connection between alcohol and afib. in sinus in Seattle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 22, 2004 Report Share Posted October 22, 2004 When the paramedics were at my house when I had my first serious afib episode they asked my wife if I'd been drinking much or did drugs the previous night (it was 6.30 AM). I don't drink, on't smoke and don't do drugs either :-) I was just a reasonably healthy but tired 34 year old at the time. So anyway, there seems to be at least a 'supposed' link between alcohol and AF with medical personel. Sander _____ From: billy171john Sent: Friday, October 22, 2004 6:05 PM To: AFIBsupport Subject: alcohol controversy I got plenty of opposition the last time I said alcohol was deeply tied to AF. Here is a new study which confirms this connection. This link is to heart center online . Regard http://www.heartcenteronline.com/myheartdr/home/research-detail.cfm? reutersid=4765 & nl=4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2004 Report Share Posted October 23, 2004 > > I got plenty of opposition the last time I said alcohol was deeply > tied to AF. Here is a new study which confirms this connection. > This link is to heart center online . > Regard > > http://www.heartcenteronline.com/myheartdr/home/research- detail.cfm? > reutersid=4765 & nl=4 If you go into any ER and ask them when they see the most AF cases they will tell you it's usually during/after " party " weekends when people binge on alchol. So a link between *too much* alchohol consumption triggering AF in *some* people is well known. However, *moderate* alchohol consumption has been shown to be very beneficial. I missed the earlier thread, so I'm not sure why there was opposition to that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2004 Report Share Posted October 23, 2004 Kathy Burkett wrote: Hi Sander and : I have been told that about alcohol as well, but in my case I really do believe there is a link. I was never a really heavy drinker, but had a few beers on the weekend. I do remember a couple of times before being diagnosed with AF that after a night of having some drinks, I would feel very tired the next day and feel my heart kind of rumbling around in there, kind of like Mt. St. Helens before it blew. My first true AF diagnosis was a night after my husband and I went to dinner and had mexican food and drinks. That is when things took off. I do believe that for me, alcohol is a true factor for the cause of AF. I have had a couple of " sips " lately with no harm, no foul, but I also did not have a glass or more. Kat in OH Spicy and acidic foods can be triggers in themselves. Combine that with certain types of alcohol, wine in my case (acidic), it can be a trigger. From the study, 1.7% of respondents were alcoholic users and were in Afib or experiencing flutter. That doesn't sound like a very strong correlation to me. I am in permanent A-fib, which is hardly noticeable. Having alcoholic beverages does make it more noticeable. Did the use of alcohol put me into A-fib to begin with? Who knows? __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2004 Report Share Posted October 23, 2004 > > > However, *moderate* alchohol consumption has been shown to be very > beneficial. > I saw the original study and I thought at the time that the 46% increase between the group that drunk least and the group that drunk most was actually less than you might have thought - I would have expected 2 or 3 times. The study recommends no more than a couple of drinks a day to avoid increaing risk of Afib which seems sensible. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 24, 2004 Report Share Posted October 24, 2004 > > However, *moderate* alchohol consumption has been shown to be very > > beneficial. snip ... > Mark Here Yes you see that is the controversy that light alcohol might be 'beneficial " or at least harmless. My view is there is more to worry about than is observed in the study . There are lots of reasons that light drinking does not reveal itself in the study as a concern. I never drank more than ligth moderation in the era of my AF onset . In that early time a single glass of wine would bring on AF while nothing else seemed to . I never had any " alcohol problem " and remain very OK about others drinking if they are not suffering AF. Regardless if light drinking contributes to only a small number of cases once Af is established I think there is significant evidence that alcohol is a one of a kind trigger. This is because a metabolate of alcohol is severly toxoic to the heart. Incidently a significant number of people have the worst effects as the alcohol in the withdrawal stage, which can be up to three days after drinking . I think abstaining from alcohol is wise for AF sufferers . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 24, 2004 Report Share Posted October 24, 2004 The catch-22 is that supposedly a glass of red wine a day keeps your heart healthy, maybe due to preventing clots. So perhaps alcohol can cause AF in some people while at the same time helping to prevent the main danger of AF (stroke due to clots). Oh well. It's never simple, is it? :-) Sander (who doesn't drink a drop) _____ From: billy171john Sent: Sunday, October 24, 2004 12:23 AM To: AFIBsupport Subject: Re: alcohol controversy > > However, *moderate* alchohol consumption has been shown to be very > > beneficial. snip ... > Mark Here Yes you see that is the controversy that light alcohol might be 'beneficial " or at least harmless. My view is there is more to worry about than is observed in the study . There are lots of reasons that light drinking does not reveal itself in the study as a concern. I never drank more than ligth moderation in the era of my AF onset . In that early time a single glass of wine would bring on AF while nothing else seemed to . I never had any " alcohol problem " and remain very OK about others drinking if they are not suffering AF. Regardless if light drinking contributes to only a small number of cases once Af is established I think there is significant evidence that alcohol is a one of a kind trigger. This is because a metabolate of alcohol is severly toxoic to the heart. Incidently a significant number of people have the worst effects as the alcohol in the withdrawal stage, which can be up to three days after drinking . I think abstaining from alcohol is wise for AF sufferers . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 24, 2004 Report Share Posted October 24, 2004 TO: Sander. Thank you. One of the first things I learned about this damnably complex illness is that no single statement fits all. I'm lucky in that I don't have to worry about " triggers " because I'm permanent-chronic, but I continue to be amazed at the array of things that trigger for some, are nothing for others. When I was " triggering " in initial stages, cold drinks were nothing for me, for example, but seem to tip the scales for so many others. Onward. Thanks again. Kathleen (24/7, atenolol, digoxin, coumadin). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 24, 2004 Report Share Posted October 24, 2004 just to continue the controversy ..... I don't believe one shoe fits all when it comes to triggers. Since I almost always go into AF with a slow heart rate and alcohol raises my heart rate I've not had any problems and I suspect there have been times when I've not gone into AF because of the higher rates. I'm not suggesting alcohol is a good remedy(!) but equally I don't believe you can say 100% of the people with AF should completely abstain, it's just another one of those individual problems. Please take it easy though, I think we all know alcohol in large quantities is a bad idea regardless of AF. -- D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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