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Review
. 2014 Aug 26;6(8):771-81.
doi: 10.4330/wjc.v6.i8.771.

Alcoholic cardiomyopathy

Gonzalo Guzzo-Merello  1 , Marta Cobo-Marcos  1 , Maria Gallego-Delgado  1 , Pablo Garcia-Pavia  1
Affiliations
Review

Alcoholic cardiomyopathy

Gonzalo Guzzo-Merello et al. World J Cardiol. .

Abstract

Alcohol is the most frequently consumed toxic substance in the world. Low to moderate daily intake of alcohol has been shown to have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system. In contrast, exposure to high levels of alcohol for a long period could lead to progressive cardiac dysfunction and heart failure. Cardiac dysfunction associated with chronic and excessive alcohol intake is a specific cardiac disease known as alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM). In spite of its clinical importance, data on ACM and how alcohol damages the heart are limited. In this review, we evaluate available evidence linking excessive alcohol consumption with heart failure and dilated cardiomyopathy. Additionally, we discuss the clinical presentation, prognosis and treatment of ACM.

Keywords: Alcohol; Alcoholic cardiomyopathy; Dilated cardiomyopathy; Heart failure.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Prevalence of alcoholic cardiomyopathy among idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy series. ACM: Alcoholic cardiomyopathy; IDCM: Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cellular changes in alcoholic cardiomyopathy. L: Neutral lipids in the form of small cytoplasmic droplets; GI: Glycogen deposits; M: Mitochondria were swollen or oedema was present; N: Nucleus; MF: Myofibrils showed a progressively distorted structure (Z lines disrupted). Reproduced with permission from the American Heart Association[42].
Figure 3
Figure 3
Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy. Pathophysiology.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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