Red wine, nuts may hold treatment for heart condition

(EdmontonSun) - A compound found in red wine and nuts can help treat those suffering from a common heart condition, say researchers at the University of Alberta.

Atrial fibrillation is a disorder that's becoming more common in Canada, and it can literally cause the heart to skip a beat.

Peter Light, a researcher from the U of A's Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, said resveratrol-based drugs help regulate electrical activity in the heart.

"Atrial fibrillation numbers are going up, yet the medications that are currently available are sub-optimal."

One in 200 people have the condition, which increases their chances of stroke by five times, Light said.

The team is now working on advancing its drug design, and hopes to start clinical drugs within the next three to five years.

Few medications are currently on the market to help treat the disorder effectively, and those drugs have some serious side effects.

Since resveratrol is a natural product, Light hopes it would be better tolerated by the body.

But those with the disorder shouldn't try treat their disorder by downing glass after glass of vino; there isn't enough of the compound in each glass to be beneficial.

"I don't think drinking lots of red wine would benefit and the levels of resveratrol in red wine are very low," Light said.