AARHUS, Denmark, Oct 11, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Danish scientists say drinking alcohol may slightly raise the risk for a certain type of irregular heart beat known as atrial fibrillation, or a-Fib.

Two researchers from the Aarhus University Hospital, in a study summarized in the latest issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, said there was a modest increase in risk of atrial fibrillation that corresponded with increasing alcohol consumption in men, but not among women.

Compared with men who drank the least amount of alcohol (first quintile), men in the second, third, fourth and fifth quintiles (increasing alcohol consumption), had a 4 percent increase in risk, 44 percent increase in risk, 25 percent increase in risk and 46 percent increase in risk for a-fib, in that order.

Compared with women in the lowest quintile of alcohol consumption, women in the second, third, fourth and fifth quintiles had a nine percent increase in risk, 27 percent increase in risk, 23 percent increase in risk and 14 percent increase in risk, in order.

"Consumption of alcohol was associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation or flutter in men," the researchers wrote. "In women, moderate consumption of alcohol did not seem to be associated with risk of atrial fibrillation or flutter."

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