How Alcohol Can Affect Your Heart Rate The New York Times

You may be able to continue drinking a glass of wine daily, but you want to make sure that it’s safe. The authors speculated that the findings could have broader implications for healthy adults as well. Although moderate drinking is widely considered beneficial for heart health, the new research suggests that, at least in some people, it could potentially disrupt how the heart functions. More contemporary studies have not found evidence of mitochondrial injury in biopsy samples from long-term alcohol drinkers (Miró et al. 2000).

The associations between drinking and CV diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, and cardiomyopathy have been studied extensively and are outlined in this review. Although many behavioral, genetic, and biologic variants influence the interconnection between alcohol use and CV disease, dose and pattern of alcohol consumption seem to modulate this most. Low-to-moderate alcohol use may mitigate certain mechanisms such as risk and hemostatic factors affecting atherosclerosis and inflammation, pathophysiologic processes integral to most CV disease. Both the negative and positive effects of alcohol use on particular CV conditions are presented here. The review concludes by suggesting several promising avenues for future research related to alcohol use and CV disease.

1. Alcohol can affect your blood pressure, causing it to go up temporarily.
2. In one recent study, researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden followed more than 79,000 men and women between the ages of 45 and 83.
3. However, if someone wants to drink, it is best to stay within the recommended limits.
4. Over time, high blood pressure (hypertension) puts strain on the heart muscle and can lead to cardiovascular disease (CVD), which increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.
5. Prolonged alcohol consumption on a daily basis can sometimes lead to atrial fibrillation, where the heart beats abnormally fast and out of rhythm, even under resting conditions.

And in general, the more you drink, the greater the uptick in your heart rate. For example, some people who are on cholesterol-lowering medicines may experience muscle aches when they drink alcohol. Because alcohol and cholesterol medicine both are processed through your liver, they are, in a sense, competing for clearance. So, it’s important to think about your overall health and talk to a healthcare provider about your personal risk factors. “In terms of heart health, there does not appear to be more benefit beyond one daily drink.”

That said, keeping your heart rate levels normal ultimately boils down to maintaining adequate levels of hydration. In short, alcohol can act as a diuretic, which explains why you may need to pee frequently while tossing back some drinks. Additionally, booze contains ethanol which can increase gut movement, ultimately speeding up digestion without giving your gut a chance to absorb water, increasing the chances of experiencing diarrhea. The Munich Beer Related Electrocardiogram Workup (MunichBREW) study was conducted by researchers from the LMU University Hospital Munich Department of Cardiology, supported by the German Cardiovascular Research Centre (DZHK) and the European Commission. It was the first assessment of the acute effects of alcohol on electrocardiogram (ECG) readings. The study included more than 3,000 people attending the 2015 Munich Oktoberfest.

Studies have shown that alcohol can have a good or bad impact depending on how much you drink.

In addition, too much alcohol may raise your blood pressure and triglyceride levels. They separately categorized each participant as either engaging in binge drinking or not. Binge drinking was defined as more than four drinks for men or more than three drinks ecstasy withdrawal and detox symptoms and timelines for women in a single day in the past three months. The researchers adjusted the data to account for age, physical activity, smoking and other known cardiovascular risk factors. People have a greater chance of developing atrial fibrillation as they get older.

It’s also more likely to occur in people who have risk factors such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, European ancestry or a family history of arrhythmias. About four decades ago, doctors began documenting cases of people experiencing arrhythmias after bouts of heavy drinking on weekends and holidays, a phenomenon that came to be known as holiday heart syndrome. Since then, a number of large observational studies have found that people who regularly consume alcohol, even as little as one drink a day, have an increased likelihood of going on to develop atrial fibrillation compared with people who abstain.

Medications such as statins that act directly on the liver can cause further damage when combined with alcohol. If you have alcoholic cardiomyopathy, stopping drinking can lead to improvement or even recovery for many. Drinking can elevate your pulse, which isn’t a concern for most healthy adults, though those with heart rhythm problems should use caution. But it may be worthwhile learning about what counts as binge drinking and whether or not you may be drinking too much and don’t even know it. One type of drink isn’t better than another, as your body reacts to alcohol the same whether it’s from beer, wine, or spirits, according to Dr. Gaziano.

Hemostatic Factors

“You can try practicing simple relaxation techniques, like deep breathing or going outdoors for some fresh air. Also, make sure to avoid overexerting yourself while drinking,” she adds. Additionally, alcohol how hallucinogens affect the body is a diuretic, so drinking may contribute to dehydration. If you’re feeling dehydrated while drinking alcohol, rehydrating with water may help to regulate your heart rate and eliminate the sensation.

Raises blood pressure

A 2022 study notes that while some evidence indicates a potential cardioprotective benefit of light to moderate alcohol intake, these benefits may instead relate to other factors. It also notes that excessive alcohol intake could also increase the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and heart attack. Alcohol can have several positive effects on the body’s heart and blood vessels — the cardiovascular system.

“I think a lot more awareness is needed, and alcohol should be part of routine health assessments moving forward.” Binge drinking, or having more than five drinks in a row, also makes getting AFib more likely. As a general rule, the American Heart Association recommends a maximum of one drink per day for women and two for men for people who do not have Afib. And people who drink have lowered inhibitions, which may lead to poor dietary choices.

This phenomenon is sometimes called “hangxiety,” and is a result of the way alcohol affects your brain chemistry and central nervous system. A faster heart rate is a common symptom of hangxiety, and can last for a few hours or even days after drinking. Overall, experts like Trout and Dr. Steinbaum agree that in order to achieve optimal heart health, alcohol should be consumed in moderation. “Take steps to lower cholesterol, control high blood pressure, get enough physical activity, stay away from tobacco and excessive amounts of booze, and follow a healthy diet. Making lifestyle choices that decrease these risk factors is the best way to keep your cardiovascular system in optimal shape,” says Dr. Steinbaum. From a dietitian’s perspective, Manaker encourages folks to avoid any consumption of alcohol if they are focused on supporting their health, as it isn’t conducive to promoting healthy aging.

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