Can Drinking Even One Glass Of Wine Daily Cause An Irregular Heartbeat?

It seems like just last week we were telling you that beer is good for your cholesterol and red wine is good for your heart. But new research suggests that that's not the whole story.

One drink a day can indeed lower the risk of cardiovascular disease due to the prevalence of antioxidants, but it can also cause an irregular heartbeat, according to a study led by Dr. Peter Kistler of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute and the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

"Alcohol is not universally 'good' for the heart," Kistler told Reuters. "It is beneficial for the 'plumbing' or blood supply to the heart muscle, but for the 'electrical' part of the heart or the heartbeat it is not."

Of the 900,000 people tested in the study, nearly eight percent who drank a beer or glass of wine daily experienced increased instances of atrial fibrillation, a kind of irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia). This condition can lead to blood clots and strokes if untreated.