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Alcohol abuse and heart failure
Author(s) -
Laonigro Irma,
Correale Michele,
Di Biase Matteo,
Altomare Emanuele
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
european journal of heart failure
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.149
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1879-0844
pISSN - 1388-9842
DOI - 10.1093/eurjhf/hfp037
Subject(s) - alcoholic cardiomyopathy , medicine , heart failure , asymptomatic , abstinence , dilated cardiomyopathy , cardiomyopathy , cardiology , alcohol abuse , pathophysiology , intensive care medicine , psychiatry
Alcoholic patients who consume >90 g of alcohol a day for >5 years are at risk of developing asymptomatic alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM). Those patients who continue to drink may become symptomatic and develop signs and symptoms of heart failure (HF). This distinct form of congestive HF is responsible for 21–36% of all cases of non‐ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy in Western Society. Without complete abstinence, the 4 year mortality for ACM is close to 50%. This short review summarizes the experimental and clinical evidence regarding the role of alcohol in the pathophysiology of ACM and HF.