ONE glass of wine a day is worse for the heart than binge drinking, a study has found.
Frequent but minimal drinkers are more likely to develop atrial fibrillation — irregular heartbeat.
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It can cause shortness of breath and chest pains, and raise the risk of a stroke fivefold.
The risk of atrial fibrillation increased by eight per cent for every drink over a week, but the number of sessions was the strongest risk factor.
Dr Jong-Il Choi, leader of the Korean study, said the heart condition has “dreadful complications” that could wreck lives.
He added: “Frequent drinking is more dangerous than infrequent binge drinking.”
He said people should cut the frequency and amount they drink.
He said: “Preventing atrial fibrillation itself, rather than its complications, should be our first priority.
“Alcohol consumption is probably the most easily modifiable risk factor. To prevent new-onset atrial fibrillation, both the frequency and weekly amount of alcohol consumption should be reduced.”
The study found that drinking every day was the riskiest, while drinking once a week was the least risky.
