Cardiologist warned about the risks of "holiday heart syndrome"

Alcohol consumption during the New Year holidays can provoke dangerous cardiac arrhythmias even in people who have not previously experienced diseases of the cardiovascular system. Sergey Boytsov, chief freelance cardiologist at the Russian Ministry of Health, told Izvestia on December 30.

According to him, the key manifestation of the so—called "festive heart syndrome" is arrhythmia, an irregular heartbeat that occurs after drinking alcohol or the next day. Even small doses of alcohol can disrupt the passage of electrical impulses through the heart muscle, as the breakdown products of ethanol, including acetaldehyde, become triggers for disruptions in the heart's conduction system.

The cardiologist emphasized that episodes of arrhythmia often occur in people who do not have confirmed diagnoses, but for patients with coronary heart disease or heart failure, the risks are much higher. In such cases, alcohol consumption can lead to severe complications such as ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, and even cardiac arrest.

Night Watch: in Russia, it was proposed to ban the operation of convenience stores

The authors of the initiative believe this will help to combat the sale of alcohol after 23:00

"When atrial fibrillation occurs, the muscle fibers of the heart contract not only randomly, but also with a frequency of 300 to 600 beats per minute, which also leads to ventricular dysfunction. The clinical manifestations are an increased or decreased pulse rate, while the pulse is often difficult to feel — it seems to "flicker", which gave the name to this ailment. If the arrhythmia is characterized by a high frequency of ventricular contractions, there may also be fainting and fainting, as well as shortness of breath, weakness," the doctor said.

In case of such manifestations, he recommends that you immediately seek medical help.

Fighters stressed that the key factor in preventing the "festive heart syndrome" is abstinence from alcohol during the holidays and moderation in the future. It is safest not to drink alcohol at all — this reduces the risk of arrhythmias and severe complications.

Earlier, on December 11, nutritionist Sofia Kovanova called drinking alcohol the most harmful habit at the New Year's table. She recalled the need for pauses between meals and recommended alternating champagne with water and lemon, as well as combining alcohol with fruit or consuming it separately.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.