In this review, we evaluate the available evidence linking alcohol consumption with HF and DCM. In addition, when women drink alcohol, their androgens are converted to estrogens, leading to a deep chemical imbalance. Higher estrogen levels are tied to problems like an increased risk of breast cancer. They can also cause your uterine lining to grow too thick, leading to heavier periods.

Continuing Education Activity

It’s alcoholic cardiomyopathy important for heavy alcohol users to be aware of the risk and seek help if they’re experiencing symptoms. Overall, treating alcoholic cardiomyopathy requires a combination of lifestyle changes, medications, and in some cases, advanced medical intervention. With careful management and commitment to recovery, you can work towards regaining cardiovascular health and improving your overall well-being. In severe cases, when lifestyle modifications and medications don’t show significant improvement, advanced interventions might be needed.

1. Oxidative and Energy Disturbances in ACM

The biological reason for this gender difference is based on different ethanol absorption rates, distribution pattern, and metabolism in women compared to men 52. Therefore, efforts to prevent ACM development in women should be specifically addressed 97. During pregnancy, ethanol consumption should be clearly discouraged because of the possibility of fetal alcohol syndrome or the development of other congenital heart diseases 97.

Health & Wellness

Transplant-free survival after 7 years was worse among patients with ACM than among those with DCM (41% vs 53%). Among patients who continued drinking heavily, transplant-free survival was significantly worse than in non-drinkers (27% vs 45%). In spite of numerous studies, the sequence of events that occur in alcohol-induced myocardial damage is still highly Halfway house controversial.

Table 1. List of literature articles reviewed in this study.

However, these new strategies https://ecosoberhouse.com/ have not yet demonstrated their real effectiveness in clinical trials, require further evaluation, and are not approved for clinical use 147. Cardiac remodeling is a global process that myocardium establishes as a result of different aggressions 31,132. Heart myocytes are relatively resistant to the toxic effect of ethanol, developing a functional and structural compensatory mechanism able to minimize or repair the ethanol-induced myocyte damage 20,31,39. Structurally, hypertrophy of myocytes is seen in the early stages to avoid contractile depression 52,107,125. Myocytolysis progressively develops, disturbing the sarcomere contractile system.

• This induces a variety of effects, since more than 14 different sites in the myocyte can be affected by ethanol 19,98.
• Pharmacologic therapy should include goal-directed heart failure therapy as used in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy with reduced ejection fraction.
• Finally, we analyzed and presented the synthesized literature, along with relevant findings and conclusions from the included studies, in a coherent manner.
• When you seek alcohol addiction treatment at one of our Boca Recovery Centers, you’ll benefit from a combination of talk therapy, counseling, and medication-assisted treatment (MAT).
• To diagnose alcoholic cardiomyopathy, your doctor will conduct a physical exam and ask about your medical history.

Prognosis

This test will assess the ejection fraction (EF), a measurement that expresses how much blood the LV pumps out with each contraction. Once doctors have found this, they will look for the cause of the weakened heart. Cardiotoxicity refers to heart damage that occurs in response to certain drugs, such as alcohol.

What Treatments are Available for Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy?

For comparison, the mean annual beer consumption in Bavaria is nowadays estimated to be 145 l and in the rest of Germany around 100 l beer per person and year 24. At Vertava Health, our treatment centers offer customizable treatment programs that include medical detox and behavioral therapy and other effective treatment services. This allows patients to reduce and stop their drinking in a safe and structured environment while receiving treatment for the core issues underlying their alcohol use.

Alcohol works directly on the kidneys at high levels, it can stop them from working properly. When the kidneys aren’t functioning, they remove too much water from your bloodstream. There’s also evidence that alcohol affects the gut’s ability to absorb and process certain nutrients. This makes managing joint disease more difficult and diet changes less effective.

• The incidence of alcoholic cardiomyopathy ranges from 1-2% among heavy drinkers, with around 21-36% of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy cases attributed to alcohol consumption.
• The excessive intake of alcohol weakens the heart muscle, leading to an enlarged and less efficient heart.
• With commitment and comprehensive care, many patients can achieve significant recovery and lead healthier, longer lives.
• Binge drinking, which involves consuming large amounts of alcohol in a short period, can also contribute to heart damage.

Similarly, electrolyte (Na, K, Ca, Mg, P) deficiencies or disturbances may play a major role in cardiac function, and ethanol misuse may be related to them 52. Selenium deficit (Keshan disease in China) could also induce ACM in specific areas 70. To treat alcoholic cardiomyopathy, it is imperative to stop alcohol intake entirely, as soon as possible. Most often, the safest way for someone who struggles with alcoholism to stop drinking alcohol is to attend a substance abuse treatment program that offers medically supervised detox. Although the symptoms of cardiac dysfunction seem to appear suddenly with this condition, it is the result of heavy alcohol use over a period of several years, resulting in cardiac fibrosis and ventricular dilation. Other types of cardiomyopathy, such as dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), may not be caused by alcohol abuse, but by genetics or other factors.