Journal of Alcoholism & Drug Dependence
Open Access
ISSN: 2329-6488
+44 1223 790975
ISSN: 2329-6488
+44 1223 790975
Ramón Estruch Riba
Spain
Review Article
Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy: Old and New Insights
Author(s): Joaquim Fernández-Solà and Ramón Estruch RibaJoaquim Fernández-Solà and Ramón Estruch Riba
Alcohol cardiomyopathy (ACM) is a chronic dilated heart disease with decreased left ventricular ejection fraction that may be detected in one-fourth of high-dose alcohol consumers. It causes progressive diastolic and systolic dysfunction, supra and ventricular arrhythmias leading to heart failure and increased mortality. The main etiological factor for ACM is ethanol consumption that affects the myocardium in a dose-dependent manner. The mechanisms of ACM are diverse, synchronic and synergistic. Alcohol alters the channel and receptor structure of the cell membrane, decreases intracellular calcium transients, increases oxidative and inflammatory damage, decreases structural protein synthesis and interferes with excitation-contraction coupling mechanisms. Subjects with excessive alcohol consumption may have a subclinical cardiomyopathy with atrial and LV diastolic dysfunction measured .. View More»
DOI:
10.4172/2329-6488.1000293