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Effects of Alcohol on Experimental Atrial Fibrillation
Author(s) -
Nguyen Thach N.,
Friedman Howard S.,
Mokraoui Abdel Malec
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1987.tb01926.x
Subject(s) - atrial fibrillation , cardiology , medicine , sinus rhythm , pulmonary artery , heart rate , anesthesia , blood pressure , cardiac output , hemodynamics
The association of alcohol abuse, especially binge drinking, and atrial fibrillation, recently termed “holiday heart,” has been recognized for some time. The effects of alcohol on atrial fibrillation, however, have not been studied. Accordingly, measurements of hemodynamics and duration of electrically induced atrial fibrillation were made in α‐chloralose anesthetized dogs during the 30 min before and during a 30‐min intravenous infusion of 1.7 g/kg of ethanol (25%, v/v), which produced an average infusion concentration of 254 ± 21 mg/dl. Average cardiac output, left ventricular (LV) peak dp/dt, and pulmonary artery mean pressure did not change, whereas LV systolic (116 ± 8 to 107 ± 9 mm Hg, p < 0.05) and aortic mean (95 ± 7 to 87 ± 9 mmHg, p < 0.05) pressures decreased. Heart rate and atrioventricular conduction in sinus rhythm, and atrial and ventricular activity in atrial fibrillation also did not change. Despite a decrease in arterial pH, duration of atrial fibrillation decreased (356 ± 143 to 93 ± 38 sec, p < 0.05). Moreover, at 15 min, when average ethanol concentration was 208 ± 20 mg/dl, and aortic mean pressure (95 ± 7 to 85 ± 8 mm Hg, p < 0.05), pulmonary artery mean pressure (16 ± 2 to 14 ± 2 mm Hg, p < 0.05), and LV peak dp/dt (1563 ± 143 to 1285 ± 167 mm Hg‐sec −1 , p < 0.05) were reduced, duration of atrial fibrillation was less than control (356 ± 143 to 114 ± 56 sec, p < 0.05). Thus, at blood levels of ethanol in which the vasodilatory and myocardial depressant effects of ethanol are evident, alcohol has an antiatrial fibrillatory effect.