The late Dr. Philip Ettinger coined the term Holiday heart syndrome in 1978. Subsequently, the term has become widely used to describe isolated incidents of atrial fibrillation in otherwise healthy people who simply eat and drink too much, often accompanied by other holiday-related stressors therefore, its frequency increases around Christmas and New Year s.
"It's this combination of alcohol and overeating," said Robert Glatter, MD, an emergency department physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. "Patients get so full, and they start to get palpitations." Although it's mainly attributed to alcohol, add to the mix caffeine, excessive amounts of food, and lack of sleep, and you have the perfect recipe for cardiac effects, Dr. Glatter noted.
Because the condition tends to occur in people who are otherwise healthy, the exact mechanism provoking it is not clear. Holiday heart syndrome could be attributed to alcohol s tendency to heighten epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine levels, and other stress-related hormones, such as cortisol.
Although all of us here at ACSH wish you a safe and wonderful holiday, there s no reason to overindulge, so enjoy your family, friends and a glass of wine and have a joyous holiday.