Arrhythmias & electrophysiology
Changes in alcohol consumption habits and risk of atrial fibrillation: a nationwide population-based study
Main finding · Incident AFResult — go to the resultHazard ratio 0.379 95% CI 0.169–0.853Authors' conclusion
Absolute abstinence could reduce the incidence of AF in heavy alcohol drinkers.
Study context
- Population
- Atrial fibrillation (AF)-free heavy habitual drinkers in the Korean National Health Insurance Service database (2005–2008), drinking change classified 2009–2012
- Participants
- 19,425 participants
- Exposure
- Absolute abstinence or reduced drinking vs sustained heavy drinking
- Outcome
- New-onset AF
Methodological detailsnationwide population-based, inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) analysis
- Nationwide population-based
- IPTW analysis
Main finding
Incident AF
Hazard ratio
0.379
95% CI 0.169–0.853
Absolute abstinence vs Sustained heavy drinking
HR 0.379 (95% CI 0.169–0.853)
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Incident AF with abstinence, by subgroup
- Abstinence significantly reduced incident AF in those with normal BMI and without hypertension, DM, dyslipidaemia, HF, stroke, CKD or CAD
- all P-value <0.05
Original publication
Changes in alcohol consumption habits and risk of atrial fibrillation: a nationwide population-based study. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 6 September 2023. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it