Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Heart remodeling is an adaptive mechanism, susceptible to being modified in ACM by the use of cardiomyokines (FGF21, Metrnl) and growth factors (IGF-1, Myostatin) [112,119]. Other than abstinence, very little is known about the treatment of cocaine-induced cardiac dysfunction. Indeed, there are case reports of reversibility of cardiac function after cessation of drug use. In patients who develop cardiomyopathy, the traditional therapy for LV dysfunction is appropriate. Two decades ago, the treatment of cocaine-induced cardiovascular effects favored the use of β-blockers, especially propranolol. As the clinical use of propranolol increased, reports of accentuation of cocaine-induced hypertension and myocardial ischemia began to surface, blaming the unopposed alpha effects of the β-blockers.

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• One of the characteristics that makes ethanol harmful is its systemic toxic effect on the human body [10,11].
• Similarly, electrolyte (Na, K, Ca, Mg, P) deficiencies or disturbances may play a major role in cardiac function, and ethanol misuse may be related to them [52].
• ACM represents one of the leading causes of non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy.

It’s very important to stick with the treatment plan and to stop drinking alcohol during recovery. Many medications can help in cases of alcohol-induced cardiomyopathy, treating the symptoms that happen because of this condition. Medications typically include beta-blockers (for heart rhythm and blood pressure issues) and diuretics (to help your body get rid of excess fluid and swelling). While alcohol-induced cardiomyopathy comes from long-term alcohol abuse, there’s no universal limit or number that means you’ll develop it. However, researchers have pinpointed certain behaviors that make it more likely you’ll develop this condition.

How is this condition treated, and can it be cured?

You will receive the first heart failure and transplantation email in your inbox shortly. When seeking answers, people often look to experts for clear and accurate information. By subscribing to heart failure content from Mayo Clinic, you have taken an important first step in gaining knowledge and using it for your overall health and well-being. Dependence is characterized by uncontrollable drinking patterns and a strong urge to drink alcohol.

Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy Treatment

Although lab tests aren’t useful in diagnosing the condition, they can help check the severity of your heart condition. Furthermore, Fernández-Solá et al[30], when analysing a population of alcoholics, found a higher prevalence of DCM in alcoholics than among the general population. Specifically, among alcoholics they found a prevalence of DCM of 0.43% in women and 0.25% in men, whereas the described prevalence of DCM in the general population is 0.03% to 0.05%[18,19]. Finally, it should be noted that McKenna and co-workers, in one of the most frequently cited papers in the ACM field, reported an incidence of 40% in 100 individuals suffering from idiopathic DCM, but in this case the consumption threshold used was only g/d[8]. At present ACM is considered a specific disease both by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and by the American Heart Association (AHA)[18,19]. In the ESC consensus document on the classification of cardiomyopathies, ACM is classified among the acquired forms of DCM[19].

Epidemiological studies

The prevalance of alcoholic cardiomyopathy in addiction units is estimated around %. Overall data with regards to alcohol induced cardiomyopathy is insuffienct and does not illustrate significant available data. Abnormal heart sounds, murmurs, ECG abnormalities, and enlarged heart on chest x-ray may lead to the diagnosis. Alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is a disease in which the long-term consumption of alcohol leads to heart failure.[1] ACM is a type of dilated cardiomyopathy.

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The effect is much like how a rubber band or spring weakens when stretched too much. Cardiac MRI may be helpful in the differential diagnosis to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, storage diseases, and inflammatory cardiomyopathy. For a comprehensive overview see Table 1 (combined data from [6, 8, 24, 28]). The source was identified to be the filter of choice for wine and beer, i.e., diatomaceous earth [36]. The German word for it is Kieselguhr, a beige powder made up of the skeletons of diatoms. The trace amounts of arsenic have not been comparable to the arsenic-in-beer endemic in Manchester but may still reach up to 10-times the amount admitted for arsenic in drinking water in the European Union and the US.

A Look At Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy: Causes & Treatment

There is a need for basic, observational and clinical trials to improve the knowledge of disease. To date, none of the ACM studies have proposed a treatment for ACM other than that recommended for DCM in current HF guidelines. Further research is required to determine the definitive role of genetics on ACM pathophysiology. Not all treatments or services described are covered benefits for Kaiser Permanente members or offered as services by Kaiser Permanente.

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The natural history and long-term prognosis studies of Gavazzi et al[10] and Fauchier et al[11] compared the evolution of ACM patients according to their degree of withdrawal. These authors found a relationship between the reduction or cessation of alcohol https://ecosoberhouse.com/ consumption and higher survival rates without a heart transplant. Considering all the works conducted to date, it is clear that new studies on the natural history of ACM are needed, including patients treated with contemporary heart failure therapies.

Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy and Your Health

Some studies have shown that the combination of carvedilol and trimetazidine with other traditional heart failure medications is effective [1-3,7-11,16-20]. The postulated mechanism includes mitochondria damage, oxidative stress injury, apoptosis, modification of actin and myosin structure, and alteration of calcium homeostasis. Studies have shown an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in myocytes following alcohol consumption and thus causes oxidation of lipids, proteins, and DNA leading to cardiac dysfunction. These changes are related to both direct alcohol toxicity on cardiac cells and the indirect toxicity of major alcohol metabolites such as acetaldehyde.

Enlarged heart, in heart failure

A decrease in cardiac preload with diuretics and postload with angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors or beta blockage agents allows for an improvement in signs of acute heart failure [19,131]. However, since it includes moderate alcohol consumption of red wine, this aspect should be clearly avoided in subjects affected by ACM. The exact mechanism by which an increased adherence to the traditional Mediterranean diet exerts its favorable effects is not known. The majority of the echocardiographic studies performed on asymptomatic alcoholics found only mild changes in their hearts with no clear impairment of the systolic function.