Research has found that even small amounts of alcohol, such as a single shot of soju, can have a negative impact on heart health. In particular, analyses suggest that East Asians, including Koreans, may face a higher risk of cardiovascular disease from the same amount of alcohol due to genetic characteristics.

On December 17, Guro Hospital at Korea University announced that a research team led by Professors Lee Daein and Kang Dongoh of the Cardiovascular Center, along with Professor Kim Sunwon of the Cardiovascular Center at Korea University Ansan Hospital, conducted a comprehensive analysis of large-scale cohort studies and randomized clinical trials. Their findings showed that even small amounts of alcohol intake significantly increased the risk of developing atrial fibrillation.

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While some studies have suggested that alcohol consumption could have positive effects on certain cardiovascular diseases, ongoing criticism has pointed out that results have been inconsistent depending on disease type, drinking patterns, and individual characteristics, thus limiting interpretation.

According to the research team's analysis, even consuming alcohol equivalent to a single shot of soju statistically significantly increased the risk of developing atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is a representative arrhythmia directly linked to stroke, heart failure, and sudden death, and it often progresses without symptoms.

Those who consumed the equivalent of 6 to 7 shots of soju per week had about an 8% higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation compared to non-drinkers, and the risk increased further with higher alcohol consumption. In particular, binge drinking-consuming more than one bottle of soju at a time-was found to sharply increase the risk.

Genetic differences were also identified. Individuals with ALDH2 or ADH1B gene variants, which are common among Asians, were found to maintain higher levels of acetaldehyde in the body even with the same amount of alcohol intake. This led to increased vascular inflammation and a greater likelihood of abnormal cardiac electrical conduction. This suggests that people who are genetically sensitive to alcohol may be at risk even with small amounts of drinking, and that East Asians, including Koreans, may face a higher risk of alcohol-related cardiovascular diseases.

Schematic diagram of the pathophysiological mechanisms of alcohol consumption on cardiovascular health. Guro Hospital, Korea University

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Additionally, it was observed that consuming more than 12 grams of alcohol per day (about 1.5 shots of soju) tended to increase the risk of developing hypertension, with this trend being more pronounced in men than in women. Habits of excessive or binge drinking-such as consuming more than one bottle of soju (50g) at a time at least once a week-were also found to raise the risk of coronary artery disease.

Professor Kim Sunwon stated, "These findings go beyond the conventional view of assessing the impact of alcohol solely based on consumption amount, showing that genetic characteristics, underlying conditions, and drinking patterns can all significantly alter the effects."

This research was published as an invited review in the international journal 'Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine'.