from American Heart Association
The popular idea that alcohol benefits the
heart has been challenged by research
published by the American Heart Association.
It does not suggest drinking alcohol directly
causes heart problems, but researchers found
chronic alcohol consumption is associated with
a higher risk of a common heart rhythm
disturbance--perhaps caused by enlargement
of the heart’s left upper chamber. Using data
from the ongoing Framingham Heart Study,
researchers suggest every alcoholic drink per
day was associated with a five percent higher
risk of atrial fibrillation and every additional
drink a day was linked to a slight increase in
the size of the heart’s left atrium. They
caution not everybody is affected the same
way by the same amounts of alcohol.