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By Catherine Bennet Updated on 03/11/2021

Holiday heart syndrome: Still a risk even if the holidays look different this year

This year has upended the way we normally celebrate the big occasions in our lives – birthdays, weddings, Friday nights, and Thanksgiving to name a few. The coming holiday season will be no different. To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the CDC continues to recommend against traveling for the holidays or gatherings with family and friends outside your household. The safest thing to do is to stay home.

But even at home, you can be at risk of the condition that doctors refer to as “holiday heart syndrome.” Holiday heart syndrome is the occurrence of cardiac dysfunction brought on by excessive, acute alcohol consumption (i.e. binge drinking), increased psychosocial stress, and/or dehydration. Most commonly, this manifests as an atrial arrhythmia, usually atrial fibrillation. However, it can also cause acute heart failure – either a dilated cardiomyopathy or Takosybo’s cardiomyopathy. Holiday heart syndrome can affect both patients with a prior history of heart disease and arrhythmia and those without prior cardiac history.

Alcohol and Holiday Heart Syndrome

Symptoms of holiday heart syndrome include palpitations, chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, and lightheadedness, and occasionally loss of consciousness. These symptoms should prompt immediate medical attention. A timely diagnosis of holiday heart syndrome is important. When diagnosed and treated promptly, the prognosis is excellent and the syndrome is generally reversible with cessation of alcohol consumption.

While a lot will be different about the holidays this year, advice around alcohol consumption remains the same. If you are going to drink, do so in moderation; that is two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women.

Cheers! And as always, if you have questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to your doctor.

Catherine Bennet, MD

Dr. Bennet is board-certified in cardiology. She is among the top rated cardiologists in the area and sees patients with all cardiac conditions. Dr. Bennet received her medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and completed her residency training in internal medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She has published multiple peer reviewed articles and presented at national meetings on topics in international cardiology and quality improvement in cardiovascular care delivery. She is an active member and fellow of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and is on the board of the Maryland Chapter of the ACC.