Heartache in a Bottle: Understanding Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy

Based on epidemiological evidence, ACM is recognized as a significant contributor to non-ischemic DCM in Western countries. Diagnosing ACM still relies on exclusion criteria, similar to alcoholic liver disease, as excessive alcohol consumption is observed in up to 40% of DCM patients. In a national inpatient sample study, some authors have reported ACM to be most common in white males aged between 45 and 59 2. Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is most common in men between the ages of 35 and 50, but the condition can affect women as well.

Enlarged Heart

While palpitations are not always dangerous, they should be evaluated by a healthcare provider to determine their underlying cause. According to the American Heart Association, alcoholic cardiomyopathy accounts for approximately 3-40% of all dilated cardiomyopathy cases in Western countries. It is more common in men, what is alcoholic cardiomyopathy but women are also at risk, especially with long-term alcohol abuse. Early diagnosis and treatment can help slow the disease’s progression and improve quality of life. The primary cause of alcoholic cardiomyopathy is prolonged and excessive alcohol consumption. Studies have shown that consuming more than 80 grams of alcohol per day for at least five years significantly increases the risk of developing this condition.

Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy: What Are The Symptoms, And How Is It Diagnosed And Treated?

Furthermore, Fernández-Solá et al30, 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. If you or someone in your care has chest pains, difficulty breathing, or severe bleeding, it could be a life-threatening emergency. Comments submitted through the form below can help us fix errors in page content, get rid of interface bugs, and update the HealthLinkBC website to better suit the needs of the people who use it.

Risk Factors of Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy

• Echocardiography is perhaps the most useful initial diagnostic tool in the evaluation of patients with heart failure.
• Men between 35 and 50 have a higher risk of developing alcohol-induced cardiomyopathy.
• Other findings may include cool extremities with decreased pulses and generalized cachexia, muscle atrophy, and weakness due to chronic heart failure and/or the direct effect of chronic alcohol consumption.
• Once the alcohol is removed from the system, heart function often improves and the prognosis is favorable.

“Knowing the type of cardiomyopathy you have is important, since that often determines treatment options, as well as potential lifestyle changes,” says Grewal. To find another treatment program, browse the top-rated addiction treatment facilities in each state by visiting our homepage, or by viewing the SAMHSA Treatment Services Locator. The helpline at AddictionResource.net is available 24/7 to discuss the treatment needs of yourself or a loved one. This helpline is answered by Treatment X LLC, an addiction treatment provider with treatment facilities in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California. All Addiction Resource content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.

What are the treatment options for alcoholic cardiomyopathy?

In the 1989 study by Urbano-Marquez et al, a comparison of symptomatic to asymptomatic patients revealed more extensive fibrosis in patients with symptoms. 8 Other investigators have looked at immunohistologic markers and have suggested that the presence of these markers might suggest an inflammatory process such as myocarditis and that their absence may point more toward AC or an idiopathic etiology. A 12-month observational study of 20 patients with AC noted smaller cavity diameters, better clinical evaluation findings, and fewer hospitalizations in the 10 patients who abstained from alcohol use.

• Once free from alcohol, substance abuse treatment and medical treatments for alcoholic cardiomyopathy can begin.
• On histological examination, various degrees of fibrosis, patchy areas of endocardial fibroelastosis, intramural blood clots and focal collections of swollen cells in both the epicardium and endocardium were found.
• Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is diagnosed when the heart muscle and surrounding blood vessels stop functioning correctly.
• You can experience heart failure if alcohol-induced cardiomyopathy is left untreated or worsens.

TREATMENT

The Verified badge on our articles is a trusted sign of the most comprehensive scientifically-based medical content.If you have any concern that our https://ecosoberhouse.com/ content is inaccurate or it should be updated, please let our team know at email protected. If you or anyone you know is undergoing a severe health crisis, call a doctor or 911 immediately. In some cases, cardiac catheterization may be recommended to evaluate coronary artery function and exclude significant blockages that could contribute to heart dysfunction. In the U.S., heart disease is the primary cause of mortality across most genders, races and ethnicities, claiming lives every 33 seconds in the country. Certain microscopic features may suggest damage secondary to alcohol causing cardiomyopathy.

• Since those initial descriptions, reports on several isolated cases or in small series of patients with HF due to DCM and high alcohol intake have been published15-17.
• Prolonged alcohol abuse weakens the heart muscle, leading to enlargement of the heart chambers, reduced pumping ability, and, ultimately, heart failure.
• Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and antifibrogenic mechanisms try to avoid myocyte necrosis and heart fibrosis 14,30,58.

In ACM, protein degradation with sarcomere disarray and contractile protein loss has been suggested to be a key point of autophagy induction 18. Different pathogenic hypotheses have been suggested, such as Halfway house the pivotal role of acetaldehyde 122, the role of oxidative stress and stress signaling cascades 109, and the translocation of NFkB into the nucleus 106. In ACM, it is relevant to consider the treatment of the other alcohol-induced systemic damage, such as liver cirrhosis, malnutrition, and vitamin and electrolyte disturbances 2,11,52. Notably, in patients with a history of chronic alcohol consumption complicated by significant myocardial dysfunction and chronic malnutrition, re-feeding syndrome may increase the cardiac dysfunction.