What is it about?
This research explores the relationship between alcohol intake and the development of atrial fibrillation in older adults. It looks at different characteristics of drinking, including # of drinks, years of drinking, and years of abstinence and follows participants from 1987-2013.
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Why is it important?
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an abnormal heart rhythm that is the leading cause of stroke. Alcohol is a risk factor for developing AF; however, it is not fully understood how it can lead to AF. Age is another important risk factor, and older adults are understudied population in research. This paper explores the relationship between alcohol intake and AF in older adults with detailed characteristics about drinking including # of drinks, years of drinking, and years of abstinence.
Perspectives
Older adults are an understudied population in research and are at the highest risk for developing AF. The mechanisms for developing AF are not well understood, and this research into the long-term effects of alcohol drinking during earlier adulthood provide insights into how people may develop AF in later adulthood.
Louis Li
Emory University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The association between alcohol intake and incident atrial fibrillation in older adults: The ARIC cohort, PLoS ONE, November 2024, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0314207.
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