Alcohol-induced arrhythmias studied by computational models of the human heart

Alcohol consumption is associated with an increased occurrence of arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. Supraventricular arrhythmias, particularly atrial fibrillation (AF), are the most common arrhythmias associated with excessive alcohol intake, but ventricular arrhythmias have also been reported after alcohol intoxication. Alcohol-induced arrhythmias represent an increased healthcare risk for the patients, and if they do not self-terminate, hospital admission and subsequent cardioversion is necessary to restore the natural heart rhythm. Unfortunately, despite the known detrimental effects of alcohol consumption on human health and decades of extensive research in cardiac electrophysiology, the mechanism(s) by which ethanol promotes arrhythmias remain(s) poorly understood. This lack of knowledge considerably limits the ability to accurately identify individuals susceptible to alcohol-induced arrhythmias, and cardiac conditions that increase vulnerability to develop such arrhythmias. To unravel these mechanisms, the ALCOHEART project proposes a unique methodology that combines simulations in anatomically-accurate computational models of human atria and ventricles with the use of pharmacokinetic models that allow to simulate different alcohol drinking behaviours. The state-of-the-art computational models of atria and ventricles will allow to assess cardiac excitation and repolarization in 3 dimensions, and to characterize the contribution of ethanol to arrhythmia vulnerability in healthy and diseased hearts. Moreover, the simulations will allow to evaluate the role of different alcohol drinking behaviours between males and females, and of sex-specific differences in cardiac electrophysiology. Putting together leading experts in the field, the ALCOHEART project will offer new insights into arrhythmogenic mechanisms of ethanol, and will provide the researcher with excellent training for his future career.