Researchers identify heart rhythm issues in partygoers who consumed excessive alcohol.
Recent studies are closely examining the harmful impacts of alcohol on health and the body. This shouldn’t be surprising, given that alcohol ranks among the most potent cell toxins available. A recent investigation by doctors at LMU University Hospital utilized mobile ECG monitors at gatherings of young adults, where the main objective was to enjoy themselves and drink. However, the findings from the MunichBREW II study were alarming, indicating that binge drinking can adversely affect the hearts of even healthy young individuals, leading to the occurrence of clinically significant arrhythmias. These findings were recently published in the European Heart Journal.
The research team from the Department of Cardiology at LMU University Hospital initiated the MunichBREW I study at the Oktoberfest in Munich back in 2015. At that time, under the leadership of Professor Stefan Brunner and PD Dr. Moritz Sinner, they explored the relationship between excessive alcohol intake and cardiac arrhythmias but only through a snapshot from an electrocardiogram (ECG).
This time, the scientists aimed to obtain a more comprehensive view, so they took their mobile equipment to various small parties with young adults, anticipating that many attendees would achieve breath alcohol concentrations (BAC) of at least 1.2 grams per kilogram, as noted by Stefan Brunner. These individuals constituted the participants of the MunichBREW II study, recognized as the largest research project to date on the effects of acute alcohol consumption and ECG alterations over extended periods.
Heart irregularities — particularly during recovery phase
Ultimately, the researchers analyzed data from over 200 partygoers who, with peak blood alcohol levels reaching up to 2.5 grams per kilogram, indulged significantly. The ECG devices recorded their heart rhythms continuously for 48 hours, breaking down the analysis into different phases: baseline (hour 0), the drinking phase (hours 1-5), the recovery phase (hours 6-19), and two control periods, both 24 hours post-drinking and post-recovery. Moments of acute alcohol ingestion were tracked with BAC measurements during the drinking phase. The ECGs were assessed for heart rate, heart rate variability, atrial fibrillation, and other arrhythmias. Despite the celebratory atmosphere, the quality of the ECG readings was consistently high throughout the study.
“Clinically relevant arrhythmias were found in more than five percent of otherwise healthy participants,” Moritz Sinner explains, “especially during the recovery phase.” The alcohol consumed during the drinking phase led to an accelerated heart rate exceeding 100 beats per minute. It appears that alcohol can significantly disrupt the heart’s autonomous regulatory mechanisms. “Our research adds another cardiological concern about the detrimental impact of acute excessive alcohol consumption on health,” Brunner elaborates, while indicating that the long-term effects of alcohol-related arrhythmias on heart health warrants further investigation.
