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Mercy Cardiologist Dr. Brian Kahn, The Heart Center at Overlea Personal Physicians

Mercy Cardiologist Dr. Brian Kahn, The Heart Center At Overlea, Discusses Possible Connection Between Alcohol Consumption And Atrial Fibrillation

Consuming more than two glasses of alcohol a day may be hazardous to your heart. A recent study shows drinking alcohol even moderately could increase your chances of developing a potentially dangerous heart condition.

"I really love to have a glass of wine before dinner," said Larry Bur, 79. Occasionally I'll have two glasses of wine before dinner," said Bur.

Over the years red wine has been associated with heart healthy benefits, like increasing cholesterol, reducing the formation of blood clots and preventing artery damage caused by bad cholesterol.

Now, new research shows too much alcohol—even moderate amounts—could lead to an irregular heartbeat, known as atrial fibrillation.

"Atrial fibrillation can be from chronic use of daily alcohol use," said Dr. Brian Kahn, Mercy Medical Center cardiologist who practices at The Heart Center at Overlea, Overlea Personal Physicians (www.overleadocs.com).

"With atrial fibrillation the top chambers beat very fast and erratic, like a bowl of jelly just shaking in there. And you don't get any fixed contractions, so blood clots can form there," said Dr. Kahn.

That can put patients like Mr. Bur at risk of a stroke.

"You can tell you have it because you can feel your heart racing," Bur said.

That fluttering occurs when Larry drinks too much. To protect against stroke, he takes a blood thinner and aspirin. To reduce the racing, he now only drinks on occasion.

For healthy people, medical experts say that drinking alcohol in moderation can still be beneficial. The key is moderation: two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women. At least 12 ounces of beer and five ounces of wine constitute one serving.

To learn more, visit http://wjz.com/local/red.wine.heart.2.894022.html.