By making these choices, individuals can lower their risk of developing alcoholic cardiomyopathy and other alcohol-related health concerns. For further resources on managing health, consider exploring our articles on character defects and what does fentanyl smell like. Patients may be encouraged to make dietary adjustments, such as reducing salt intake and increasing nutrient-rich foods that promote heart health. Regular physical activity is also beneficial for maintaining cardiovascular health.
Table 1. List of literature articles reviewed in this study.
That’s because vitamin and mineral deficiencies are more common in individuals who are chronic alcoholic cardiomyopathy stages heavy drinkers. Treatment for this condition starts with helping you reduce your alcohol intake or stop drinking entirely. That also may involve supportive care that will help prevent — or at least reduce the impact of — any alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Supportive care for withdrawal is especially important because some of its symptoms can be severe or even life-threatening.
- Most heavy drinkers remain asymptomatic in the earlier stages of disease progression, and many never develop the familiar clinical manifestations that typify heart failure.
- The cardiovascular changes will eventually lead to a drastic reduction in the pumping mechanism of the heart, which in turn is a major cause of irregular heartbeats.
- Beriberi is caused by a deficiency of thiamine pyrophosphate, the biologically active form of vitamin B1.
- It was characterized by congestive heart failure, pericardial effusion, and an elevated hemoglobin concentration.
What are the key laboratory findings in alcoholic cardiomyopathy?
Heart failure happens when the heart muscle becomes too weak and stops pumping blood normally. Men between 35 and 50 have a higher risk of developing alcohol-induced cardiomyopathy. Elevations in troponin can signify heart damage or an increase in cardiac output that results in demand ischemia. This is where the heart has an increased need for oxygen that exceeds the body’s ability to supply it.
7. End-stage ACM
Several medical conditions can increase the risk of developing alcoholic cardiomyopathy. Individuals with a history of high blood pressure (hypertension) are at higher risk because the heart has to work harder to pump blood, worsening alcohol-induced damage. Similarly, people with pre-existing heart conditions, such as coronary artery disease, are more vulnerable to alcohol’s effects on the heart muscle.
Prognosis
Thus, Nicolás et al73 studied the evolution of the ejection fraction in 55 patients with ACM according to their degree of withdrawal. The population was divided into 3 groups according to their intake volume during the follow-up period. At the end of the first year, no differences were found among the non-drinkers, who improved by 13.1%, and among those who reduced consumption to g/d (with an average improvement of 12.2%). Conversely, those whose consumption remained in excess of 80 g/d showed an average decline of 3.8% in their ejection fraction.
Cardiac Effects of Alcohol
- Physicians typically begin with a comprehensive medical history and physical examination.
- By taking proactive steps, individuals can significantly reduce their risk of developing this serious condition.
- For many people, abstaining from alcohol can lead to a full recovery, especially when your case is less severe.
- They typically require fewer hospitalizations and show improved heart function on ECG readings.
- Factors such as genetic mutations affecting alcohol metabolism, gender-based hormonal differences, and coexisting metabolic conditions can accelerate cardiac damage.
- Pathologically, ethanol induces myocytolysis, apoptosis, and necrosis of myocytes, with repair mechanisms causing hypertrophy and interstitial fibrosis.
New strategies to improve the natural course of ACM have been proposed as promising agents in this field 112,147. They try to control myocardial remodeling to avoid the progression of myocyte hypertrophy 39,148 or fibrosis 149 and ventricle dysfunction and dilatation, as well as to increase the degree of myocyte regeneration 150. They aim to control oxidative damage, myocyte hypertrophy, interstitial fibrosis, and persistent apoptosis. Pharmacological restoration of autophagic reflux by inhibition Sober living home of soluble epoxide hydrolase has been described to ameliorate chronic ethanol-induced cardiac fibrosis in an in vivo swine model 151.
- Cardiomyopathy is a heart condition that causes malfunctioning of the cardiac muscle called the myocardium, because of the stiffening and the expansion of the heart.
- In fact, ACM is considered to be the result of dosage and individual predisposition 32.
- While alcoholic cardiomyopathy can develop in anyone who engages in chronic heavy drinking, certain populations are at higher risk.
- In order to maintain cardiac homeostasis, the removal of defective organelles and cell debris by autophagy is essential both in physiological and pathological conditions 115.
- Treating alcoholic cardiomyopathy often requires addressing coexisting mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, or trauma, which may have contributed to alcohol dependence in the first place.