Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyCohort study
Acute alcohol consumption and arrhythmias in young adults: the MunichBREW II study
- Prospective observational study
- 48 h ECG monitoring
Authors' conclusion
The study demonstrates the impact of binge drinking on heart rate alterations and increased atrial tachycardias during 'drinking period', and the occurrence of clinically relevant arrhythmias during the 'recovery period', emphasizing the holiday heart syndrome as a health concern.
Study context
- Population
- Young adult volunteers planning acute alcohol consumption (binge drinking) with expected peak breath alcohol concentration ≥1.2 g/kg
- Participants
- 202 volunteers
- Exposure
- Drinking and recovery periods vs baseline and control periods
- Outcome
- Temporal course of cardiac arrhythmias following binge drinking (mean heart rate, atrial tachycardia, premature atrial complexes, PVCs, heart rate variability)
- Follow-up
- 48 h ECG monitoring
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Participants with notable arrhythmic episodes (incl. AF and VT), primarily during recovery period
10
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Acute alcohol consumption and arrhythmias in young adults: the MunichBREW II study. Eur Heart J. Published 4 October 2024. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehae695
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it