The belief that a glass of wine a day is good for heart health could be nothing but a deadly myth. Researchers from the University of California at San Fransisco, US, found that daily, long-term consumption of alcohol could enlarge the heart’s upper left chamber, known as the atrium. This, in turn, can convert into atrial fibrillation, a condition in which the heart beats irregularly and fails to properly pump blood around the body. Drinkers prone to irregular heart rhythms are, therefore, susceptible to heart conditions like a stroke or blood clots. Researchers analysed the data of 5,220 participants with an average age of 56. They underwent electrocardiograms (ECGs), where scans were taken over six years and 1,088 cases of atrial fibrillation were detected. It was found that drinking just 10 g of alcohol can increase the risk of developing the condition by 5 per cent. The study was published in the journal, American Heart Association.

Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
October 2016