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In the interim it seems appropriate to continue discouraging any alcohol consumption in these patients, as it would be difficult for them to maintain a limited alcohol intake considering their history of alcohol dependence and abuse. Considering all the works conducted to date, it is clear that new studies on the natural history of ACM are needed, including patients treated with contemporary heart failure therapies. In light of the available data, new studies will help to clarify the current prognosis of ACM compared to DCM and to determine prognostic factors in ACM that might differ from known prognostic factors in DCM. Caution for anticoagulation is warranted due to the problems of noncompliance, trauma, and overdosage especially in hepatic dysfunction. More than 1.8 million individuals in Germany with a total population of 81 million inhabitants are alcohol dependant. In a world-wide setting, alcohol use disorders show similarities in developed countries, where alcohol is cheap and readily available [8].
In this study, the only independent predictor of cardiac death was alcohol abstinence. One of the few papers analysing genetic susceptibility in ACM was published by Fernández-Solà et al[64] in 2002. He compared the prevalence of different polymorphisms of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene in 30 ACM patients and in 27 alcoholics with normal ventricular function. Furthermore, 89% of the alcoholics Top 5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Choosing Sober House with a DD genotype developed ACM, whereas only 13% of those with an II or ID genotype developed this condition. In their autopsies, he described finding dilated cavities of the heart and fatty degeneration of the ventricular walls[14]. Indeed, the first account of the possible harmful effects of alcohol specifically on heart muscle was reported in the latter half of the 19th century.
G. Alcoholic Heart Disease
The German word for it is Kieselguhr, a beige powder made up of the skeletons of diatoms. The trace amounts of arsenic have not been comparable to the arsenic-in-beer endemic in Manchester but may still reach up to 10-times the amount admitted for arsenic in drinking water in the European Union and the US. In addition to the assessment of the status of the coronary arteries, cardiac catheterization may help obtain useful information regarding cardiac output, the degree of aortic or mitral valvular disease, and cardiac hemodynamics and filling pressures. Importantly however, remember that much of this information can be derived or inferred from the results of noninvasive testing. A 12-month observational study of 20 patients with AC noted smaller cavity diameters, better clinical evaluation findings, and fewer hospitalizations in the 10 patients who abstained from alcohol use. Recovery from both alcoholism and alcoholic cardiomyopathy is possible but you need to seek professional help in order to be successful.
We treat each patient as an individual and we take their needs and preferences into consideration. Alcoholic cardiomyopathy treatment can take several different forms depending on the severity of the disease and the individual’s overall health. However, the longer a person has been drinking, the less likely is it that they will have a positive outcome. And, if they continue to drink after the disease sets in, the outcome is likely to be poor. Research shows that 42 percent of people who continue to drink regularly after their diagnoses die within three years. If it is caught in the early stages and the patient stops drinking and seeks treatment, it can be completely reversed.
What causes alcoholic cardiomyopathy?
Patients who consume more than two drinks per day have a 1.5- to 2-fold increase in hypertension compared with persons who do not drink alcohol, and this effect is most prominent when the daily intake of alcohol exceeds five drinks. Because hypertension may directly contribute to left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, this may be a confounding comorbidity in persons who abuse alcohol, and it should be differentiated from pure forms of alcoholic cardiomyopathy. The signs and symptoms of alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM) can vary depending on the severity of the condition.[6] In the early stages, people with ACM may not experience any symptoms. However, as the condition progresses, they may experience symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, palpitations, and swelling of the legs and ankles.[6] They may also experience chest pain, dizziness, and fainting. In some cases, ACM can cause arrhythmias or irregular heartbeats, which can be life-threatening. Among chronic alcoholics with alcoholic cardiomyopathy in the initial stages, cardiac conduction abnormalities and arrhythmias are more frequently diagnosed than cardiac failure.
