Acute alcohol ingestion reduces heart rate variability.
Blood pressure, heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) prior and during acute ethanol intoxication (0.7 g/kg) were studied in 8 healthy volunteers. Blood pressure and heart rate remained unaltered during intoxication. While HRV was significantly reduced immediately after ingestion (2P = 0.01). It is speculated that the reduction of HRV after heavy ethanol consumption contributes to the genesis of cardiac arrhythmias in chronic alcoholics with or without clinical evidence of heart disease.
D000328:Adult; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000139:chemically induced; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000187:drug effects
D000431:Ethanol