Five-year Changes in Alcohol Intake and Risk of Atrial Fibrillation: A Danish Cohort Study


 
 
 Alcohol intake is a well-established risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF). However, evidence on the effects of changes in alcohol intake to primary AF prevention is sparse. The aim of this study was to examine the association between five-year changes in alcohol intake and risk of incident AF.
 
 
 
 This study was based on the Danish cohort study Diet, Cancer, and Health. Lifestyle factors were assessed using questionnaires at a recruitment research examination and at a second examination five years later. Diagnoses of AF and comorbidities were retrieved from the Danish National Patient Registry.
 
 
 
 43,758 participants without prior AF were included. Median age was 61 [25th-75th percentile 58-66] years and 54% were female. Over a median follow-up time of 15.7 years, 5,312 participants had incident AF (incidence rate 8.6/1,000 person-years). Compared to stable intake, increases in alcohol intake to ≥21 drinks/week from ≤6.9 drinks/week (HR 1.38, 95% CI 1.09-1.72) or 14-20.9 drinks/week (HR 1.27, 95% CI 1.01-1.59) at baseline were associated with higher risk of AF. In contrast, we did not observe a statistically significant association between reductions in alcohol intake and risk of AF.
 
 
 
 A five-year increase in alcohol intake was associated with greater risk of AF compared to a stable low/moderate intake.
