Warning over 'silent killer' that can strike over Christmas and New Year

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Brits who ditch their healthy drinking habits over the festive season may be at risk of a phenomenon known as "holiday heart syndrome" (HHS).

Binge drinking during weekends and holidays can lead to cardiac arrhythmias, which are irregularities in the heartbeat, and typically occur following heavy drinking sessions that involve consuming at least 15 units – equivalent to around seven and a half pints of 4% beer or one and a half bottles of 13% wine – within a single day.

This link between excessive alcohol consumption and heart problems was first identified by a team led by US doctor Dr Philip Ettinger in 1978, who noted 24 patients were admitted to hospital with atrial fibrillation (A-fib) following a weekend of heavy drinking.

The name is derived from the fact that episodes were initially observed more frequently after weekends or public holidays, The Mirror reports. "Episodes usually followed heavy weekend or holiday sprees, resulting in hospitalisation between Sunday or Tuesday or in proximity to the year-end holidays, a relationship not observed in other alcohol-associated illnesses," the researchers said.