at Silvia Turin
More people die from heart attacks between Christmas and New Year than any other time of the year. Too many toasts put you at risk of atrial fibrillation: what it is, what the symptoms are and who needs to be more careful
More people die from heart attacks between Christmas and New Year than any other time of the year, so much so that the term “Holiday heart” was born in the USA, indicating what we can call “holiday heart syndrome”. Why does this happen and how can any risks be avoided?
«Explosive» mix
From company dinners, to aperitifs with friends, from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Eve and beyond, it is worth focusing on the greater quantity of alcohol that will be drunk than usual. The consumption of alcoholic beverages is so normalized that it seems strange that someone doesn’t celebrate with a toast, so often we forget that alcohol is a toxic substance for the body. Even in small doses and especially for the heart.
If the celebrations continue and the glasses grow, we could have unwanted effects of celebrations that are too “happy”. «Generally speaking, excessive doses of alcohol, by exerting an exciting action on the heart cells – confirms Professor Claudio Tondo, Director of the Department of Arrhythmology of the Monzino Cardiology Center, IRCCS – can cause an increase in heart rate and facilitate the onset of cardiac arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation. It must also be remembered that chronic alcohol intake in significant doses can lead to the development of dilated cardiomyopathy, which causes an increase in the volumes of the cardiac chambers (atria and ventricles) and a reduction in contractility: two crucial conditions for the onset of fibrillation. atrial. And be careful: alcohol-induced rhythm anomalies often occur in conjunction with a more abundant diet, so moderation is also aimed at the quantity of food introduced.”
Increased risk
So the Christmas holidays and the following New Year with such close celebrations can be hard on our health, not just on the scales. In fact, a study has shown that just one drink a day can increase the risk of atrial fibrillation by up to 16%. If on a given day the chance of suffering from atrial fibrillation is one in 1,000, with a glass of beer or wine this probability can reach 3 in 1,000.
Atrial fibrillation, therefore, is the most looming danger, but what is it? «It is a heartbeat anomaly, one of the most widespread disorders – explains Tondo -: the heart, beating irregularly, is unable to adequately pump the blood which could form dangerous clots. Atrial fibrillation can increase the risk of having a stroke and has also been linked to dementia and heart failure.”
The elderly, obese and tall people are at risk
If drinking alcohol is bad for everyone, in this specific case we remember that there are categories more at risk of atrial fibrillation: at the age of 80 you have approximately a 10% chance of having this disorder. Other risk factors include obesity, a family history of early-onset atrial fibrillation, and height (one study found that people taller than 5 feet 7 inches were at greater risk).
How to notice when there are problems? “Some will have no symptoms and others may experience heart palpitations, chest pain or shortness of breath, extreme tiredness and even fainting. For some people, atrial fibrillation occurs for short periods, but for others the condition can become permanent”, clarifies the expert. Doctors typically diagnose atrial fibrillation through an EKG , but as smartwatches with heart rate monitors have become more popular, you can now notice changes in your heart rhythm on your own and see a cardiologist.
The advices
Arriving at the celebrations in a conscious way can limit the risks, but if you want to toast the same “according to tradition” you can at least adopt some precautions: drink water, because dehydration increases the risk of “holiday heart syndrome”, and don’t stop with physical activity during the holiday period. Even just a walk can do you good.
Finally, to keep in mind the amounts of alcohol intake considered “low risk” (1 glass of wine or 1 can of beer or 1 glass of spirits per day for women and the elderly and 2 for men), even if it does not mean that they are healthy, nor a goal to be achieved. In recent years, evidence has increased of cause-effect relationships between alcohol and some types of cancer and 200 other health problems, not to mention driving accidents. The only safe consumption of alcohol is zero.
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December 18, 2023 (modified December 18, 2023 | 08:32)
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