Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40470582›Full record

ArticleAnnals of noninvasive electrocardiology : the official journal of the International Society for Holter and Noninvasive Electrocardiology, Inc2025

Alcohol Intake and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: RE-LY AF Registry Analysis.

Alireza Oraii, David Conen, Linda S Johnson, William F McIntyre, Faith Kirabo, Kumar Balasubramanian, Alexander P Benz, Jonas Oldgren, Jens Cosedis Nielsen, Jeff Healey

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of noninvasive electrocardiology : the official journal of the International Society for Holter and Noninvasive Electrocardiology, Inc, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Interpreting Alcohol-CV Associations in AF Requires Scrutiny of Drinking Behaviors and Socioeconomic Context.Annals of noninvasive electrocardiology : the official journal of the International Society for Holter and Noninvasive Electrocardiology, Inc · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Alireza OraiiPopulation Health Research Institute, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-2422-2930
David ConenPopulation Health Research Institute, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-2459-5251
Linda S JohnsonPopulation Health Research Institute, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-2249-8220
William F McIntyrePopulation Health Research Institute, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-6082-7542
Faith KiraboPopulation Health Research Institute, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0009-0007-3191-4939
Kumar BalasubramanianPopulation Health Research Institute, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Alexander P BenzPopulation Health Research Institute, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-2555-1266
Jonas OldgrenUppsala Clinical Research Center, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-9969-3921
Jens Cosedis NielsenAarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0001-9414-1653
Jeff HealeyPopulation Health Research Institute, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Funding

Boehringer Ingelheim
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlcohol intake increases recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF), but its relationship with cardiovascular outcomes is less well characterized. We aimed to study the association between different levels of alcohol intake and cardiovascular outcomes in a global cohort of patients with AF.

methodsThis is a cross-sectional analysis of the RE-LY AF registry, including 15,400 patients with AF who visited emergency departments in 47 countries. Patients were categorized into abstainers, light (< 7 standard drinks [SD]/week), moderate (7-13 SD/week), and heavy drinkers (≥ 14 SD/week). Outcomes were stroke/systemic embolism, heart failure (HF) hospitalization, and major bleeding at 1-year follow-up. Logistic mixed-effects regression models were used to calculate multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI).

resultsIn total,14,058 patients (mean age = 65.9 ± 14.7 years, 48.0% women) with available alcohol intake level data were included. This consisted of 12,091 (86.0%) abstainers, 1150 (8.2%) light, 458 (3.3%) moderate, and 359 (2.6%) heavy drinkers. The odds of stroke/systemic embolism were not significantly different in light (aOR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.60-1.28), moderate (aOR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.53-1.57) or heavy drinkers (aOR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.41-1.54) compared to abstainers. Major bleedings were numerically, but not statistically significantly, higher among heavy drinkers (aOR = 1.52, 95% CI: 0.82-2.80). Compared to abstainers, alcohol intake was associated with fewer HF hospitalizations (light: aOR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.58-0.92; moderate: aOR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.35-0.78; heavy: aOR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.41-0.98). However, this protective association was observed only in upper-middle and high-income countries (p-interaction < 0.001).

conclusionAlcohol drinking is unlikely to be associated with increased thromboembolic events in patients with AF, but may be associated with a lower risk of HF hospitalizations.

Indexed as

Alcohol DrinkingAtrial FibrillationElectrocardiographyAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHeart FailureHospitalizationHumansMaleMiddle AgedRegistriesRisk FactorsStrokealcoholatrial fibrillationheart failureprognosisstroke

Identifiers

PMID40470582
PMCPMC12138439

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.