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Alcoholic cardiomyopathy - Overview

Alternative Names

Cardiomyopathy - alcoholic

Definition of Alcoholic cardiomyopathy:

Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is a disorder in which drinking too much alcohol over a long period of time weakens the heart muscle so that it cannot pump blood efficiently.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Drinking alcohol in large quantities has a toxic effect on the heart. Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is a form of a condition in which the heart becomes enlarged and the heart muscle thins (dilated cardiomyopathy) due to alcohol abuse.

Alcoholic cardiomyopathy causes the weakened heart muscle to pump inefficiently, leading to heart failure. In severe cases, the lack of blood flow affects all parts of the body, damaging many tissues and organs.

The disorder is most commonly seen in men ages 35-55. However, it may develop in anyone who drinks too much alcohol over a long period of time.

Alcoholic cardiomyopathy may be confused with dilated cardiomyopathy of unknown cause (idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy) if the person's drinking history is not known.

Alcoholic cardiomyopathy

Reviewed last on: 5/15/2008
Alan Berger, MD, Assistant Professor, Divisions of Cardiology and Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Hare JM. The Dilated, Restrictive, and Infiltrative Cardiomyopathies. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Zipes DP. Libby: Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 64.

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