Also, low to moderate daily alcohol intake was proved to be a predictor of better prognosis for both ischemic cardiomyopathy and heart failure regardless of the presence of coronary disease1,2. Alcohol-induced cardiomyopathy is a heart muscle disease caused by chronic alcohol consumption since no other origin is known. This heart disease is characterized by impaired contraction and dilation of one or both ventricles of the heart. Continued heavy alcohol use, on the other hand, will continue to make alcoholic cardiomyopathy worse. Alcoholic cardiomyopathy can present with signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure.

Treatment for Severe Cases

• This heart disease is characterized by impaired contraction and dilation of one or both ventricles of the heart.
• The effects of alcohol can also be more significant and harmful in smaller amounts for some people than others, depending on body size, age, medical conditions, and other factors.
• Long-term alcohol abuse and excessive drinking can come with far more dangers than addiction.
• But alcohol can lead to your heart rate temporarily jumping up in speed, and if it goes over 100 beats per minute when at rest, it can cause a condition called tachycardia.
• People with alcoholic cardiomyopathy often have a history of heavy, long-term drinking, usually between five and 15 years.

Indeed, the first account of the possible harmful effects of alcohol specifically on drug addiction heart muscle was reported in the latter half of the 19th century. Expressions referring to “the heart of a wine drinker in Tubingen” and particularly a “Munich beer heart” were used and known in Germany during this time13. When caught early enough and with the right therapy, patients can recover fully. In more severe cases or when treatment does not start early enough, the condition may become chronic.

Cardiac Catheterization

It is a condition that develops over a long period of frequent and heavy drinking. Cardiomyopathy is a heart muscle disease that occurs when the heart muscle is thicker or stiffer than it is supposed to be. Cardiomyopathy that has developed as a result of chronic alcohol use is known as alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM). Chronic alcohol use can have long-lasting effects on a person’s quality of life and health.

Functional Tests

Alterations caused by heavy alcohol intake have also been studied from the perspective of histopathology. Emmanuel Rubin analysed muscle biopsies from individuals who were previously non-drinkers and were submitted to a balanced diet with heavy alcohol intake during one month41. These changes, though subtle, were similar to those found by Ferrans and Hibbs in eight deceased individuals diagnosed with ACM42,43. 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. Also, there were significant size variations in the myofibrils and they showed a relative decrease in the number of striations, in addition to swelling, vacuolisation and hyalinisation.

Your doctor will also ask you about your medical history and drinking habits. It’s important to be honest with your doctor about the extent of your alcohol use, including the number and amount of drinks you have each day. This will make it easier for them to make a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan. There are a number of ways alcohol affects our health — and not in a good way. And when it comes to alcohol and heart health, there are real concerns, including increased heart rate. You can experience heart failure if alcohol-induced cardiomyopathy is left untreated or worsens.

Weakening in the muscles around the ventricles means they can’t pump as hard, which negatively affects your entire body. “This effect has even been referred to as ‘holiday heart syndrome,’ for people who don’t usually drink much may experience it with friends or family over a holiday,” Dr. Sarraju shares. Although lab tests aren’t useful in diagnosing the condition, they can help check the severity of your heart condition. The consequences of advanced cases of ACM are unlikely to reverse with treatment but may be managed with some standard treatments for heart failure. Heart damage caused by severe alcohol use can be deadly and grow worse without professional treatment.

The most helpful form of treatment for people who are experiencing heart problems as a result of their drinking is an inpatient treatment program for alcohol use. Depending on the medication, these approaches can  improve heart function, and control blood pressure. Those who engage in episodic or binge drinking (consuming a large amount of alcohol in a short period) over several years are at risk for ACM. The pattern of excessive drinking, regardless of the frequency, can lead to the development of this condition.

Is this condition only a chronic (long-term) problem?

Unfortunately Lazarević et al23, as in most of these studies, systematically excluded patients with a history of heart disease or with HF symptoms. It is therefore possible that most of these studies may have also consistently omitted most alcohol abusers in whom alcohol had already caused significant ventricular dysfunction. A doctor will examine your physical symptoms while also listening to your heart and lungs. Imaging tests like echocardiograms, chest x-rays, MRIs, and CT scans can detect changes in the heart’s shape or determine how tracers flow through the heart to determine a potential ailment. These tests, in combination with knowledge about the patient’s frequency of alcohol consumption, can lead to the diagnosis of alcoholic cardiomyopathy.

Treatment Options for ACM

It also appears that the changes emerging in ACM patients only differ from idiopathic DCM in quantitative terms, with histological changes being more striking in idiopathic DCM than in ACM44. Additionally, the accepted ACM definition does not take into account a patient’s sex or body mass index (BMI). As women typically have a lower BMI than men, a similar amount of alcohol would reach a woman’s heart after consuming smaller quantities of alcohol.

Health Categories to Explore

The latest two papers to be published, unlike previous papers, reported worse outcomes for ACM patients compared to DCM patients. In the first of these studies, Fauchier et al11 studied 50 patients with ACM and 84 patients with DCM between 1986 and 1997. Although up to 81% of ACM patients received an ACEI, none received beta-blockers and the use of spironolactone was not specified, although it was probably quite low. Also, current common cardiac therapies such as ICD and CRT devices were not used because of the period when the study was conducted. After a follow-up period of 47 mo, a significantly higher survival rate was observed among patients with DCM compared to patients with ACM. In this study, the only independent predictor of cardiac death was alcohol abstinence.

Mental Health Treatment

Alcohol-induced cardiomyopathy, especially when more severe, leads to deadly problems like heart attack, stroke or heart failure. Individuals with this condition who don’t stop drinking heavily are at the greatest risk. Between 40% to 80% of people who continue to drink heavily will not survive more than 10 years after receiving this diagnosis.