Binge-drinking leads to surge in ‘holiday heart’ patients at hosps

Kolkata: Tipplers suffering from ‘holiday heart syndrome' — a condition triggered by binge alcohol consumption, often observed during long weekends, holidays, and vacations — have seen a significant rise across Kolkata's private hospitals. The latter fear a further spurt in such patients over the next week as the city lets its hair down to soak in the Yuletide spirit with food and drinks.‘Holiday heart syndrome' typically refers to atrial fibrillation or a kind of arrhythmia or irregular heartbeats, induced by binge drinking, which is common at this time of year.
The most common symptom is palpitation, which can be either transient or persistent. Patients with rapid ventricular responses may have symptoms such as fatigue, generalised weakness, angina, shortness of breath, or near syncope.Charnock Hospital has seen a 20% spurt in cardiac patients over the last week. "In winter, cardiac ailments rise due to the weather, binge-drinking, and sudden indulgence in greasy food. The arteries get constricted in winter, and the blood pressure shoots up, which increases the chances of a heart attack. Sudden alcohol consumption along with oily food spikes the cholesterol level, which could also trigger a range of cardiac issues, including angina pain and heart attack," said Charnock cardiologist, Tapopbrata De.More than a dozen patients with severe dehydration and gastro-esophageal or G-reflux were treated at Fortis Hospital in the last seven days. "These are typically people in their thirties or forties who tend to party hard and binge drink till early morning and end up with chest pain, vomiting, and sweating—classic symptoms of a heart attack. Though most don't suffer a heart attack, a significant number are detected with cardiac issues like clogged arteries. Binge-drinking leads to a sudden infusion of alcohol that dehydrates, while the food going with it tends to be oily, adding to the impact. ‘Holiday heart' could be dangerous for a large section with underlying and undetected cardiac issues," said KM Mandana, cardiovascular surgeon at Fortis.On Christmas Eve, two patients in an inebriated state were brought to the emergency of BP Poddar Hospital, one in his late thirties and the other around 45. "The second patient presented with the after-effects of heavy drinking, including a markedly elevated heart rate and altered sensorium. He was discharged after stabilisation," said Supriyo Chakrabarty, group advisor, BP Poddar.Alcohol affects the heart's electrical conduction system, increases sympathetic activity, and causes dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, said Sourabh Goswami, consultant intervention cardiologist at BP Poddar. "The condition is often transient. However, in some cases, especially among individuals with underlying risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, or existing heart disease, ‘holiday heart syndrome' can trigger serious complications requiring urgent medical attention," added Goswami.

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