title: Effects of alcohol ingestion on cardiac rhythm in patients with ischaemic heart disease.
abstract: The effect of alcohol on cardiac rhythm was examined in ten male volunteers with a history of acute myocardial infarction. ECG monitoring with a portable ECG recorder was carried out for a period of 48 hours. After a control period of 15-18 hours an exercise test was performed and repeated after a standard dose (0.5 g/kg b.wt.) of alcohol. Then the patients were allowed to drink alcohol freely for two and half hours. The third exercise test was performed on the second morning. Heart rate at rest and sitting on a bicycle was highest in the third test, during the "hangover" period (p less than 0.05). With a submaximal work load heart rate, and also the heart rate-blood pressure pressure product, were highest after a standard dose of alcohol in the second test (p less than 0.05 and less than 0.01 respectively). The number of ectopic beats showed no significant difference in repeated exercise tests. On tape recordings, however, five of the ten patients experienced changes in cardiac rhythm after alcohol. In two patients the number of ectopic beats increased, the third patient had three successive ventricular ectopic beats after alcohol ingestion and in the fourth patient multiple sinus arrests occurred. In one patient a higher heart rate after alcohol ingestion abolished the ventricular ectopic focus seen during the control period.
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000139:chemically induced; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005082:Physical Exertion
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol