Open AccessEchocardiography abnormalities in chronic asymptomatic alcoholics
Author(s) -
Cregler L. L.,
Worner T. M.,
Mark H.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
clinical cardiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.263
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1932-8737
pISSN - 0160-9289
DOI - 10.1002/clc.4960120302
Subject(s) - medicine , asymptomatic , cardiology , ejection fraction , afterload , blood pressure , hypertensive heart disease , mass index , body mass index , heart failure
Alcohol abuse is a frequent contributor to elevated blood pressure, but the literature is ambiguous about the role of hypertension in producing left ventricular dysfunction. Fifty asymptomatic male alcoholics admitted for detoxification were studied using echocardiograms and systolic time intervals. Alcoholics were separated into Group I (28 with hypertension) and Group II (22 without hypertension). Forty‐four patients had analyzable echocardiograms and were compared to 29 nonalcoholics. Group III consisted of 14 nonalcoholics with hypertension. Group IV consisted of 15 normotensive nonalcoholics (controls). The ejection fraction and shortening fraction were reduced in Group I (p < 0.05). Hypertensive alcoholics had increased left ventricular mass indices but less than hypertensive nonalcoholics. Left ventricular wall stress was compared to mass as an index of ventricular compensation. The wall stress to mass index for hypertensive alcoholics was 1.65 as compared to 1.43 for the controls. Alcoholics without hypertension had a wall stress to mass ratio of 1.54. Hypertensive patients had a reduced wall stress to mass ratio of 1.38 when compared to controls. These data suggest an inappropriate compensatory response to afterload. Alcohol and hypertension combined may be more harmful to left ventricular function than either disease alone.<