Alcoholic cardiomyopathy - Symptom
Alternative Names
Cardiomyopathy - alcoholic
Symptoms:
There are usually no symptoms until the disease is in an advanced stage. At that point, the symptoms occur due to heart failure and may include:
Signs and tests:
A health care provider will conduct a physical examination, which may show:
Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is usually diagnosed when chronic heavy drinking is discovered as a cause of heart failure.
The following tests may reveal signs of heart failure:
- Echocardiogram may show enlarged heart chambers, leaking valves, or reduced pumping efficiency
- ECG may show signs of enlarged heart chambers or rhythm abnormalities (arrhythmias)
- Cardiac catheterization and coronary angiography may rule out coronary artery blockages as the cause
- Chest x-ray or chest CT may show heart enlargement, fluid buildup in the lungs and valves, and reduced pumping function
- Complete routine laboratory study measures the hormone B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP)
- 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.