Journal of Alcoholism & Drug Dependence
Open Access

Joaquim Fernández-Solà

Publications

• Review Article
  Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy: Old and New Insights
  Author(s): Joaquim Fernandez-Sola, Ramon Estruch Riba Joaquim Fernandez-Sola, Ramon Estruch Riba
  
  Alcohol cardiomyopathy (ACM) is a chronic dilated heart disease with decreased left ventricular ejection fraction that may be detected in one-fourth of high-dose alcohol consumers. It causes progressive diastolic and systolic dysfunction, supra and ventricular arrhythmias leading to heart failure and increased mortality. The main etiological factor for ACM is ethanol consumption that affects the myocardium in a dose-dependent manner. The mechanisms of ACM are diverse, synchronic and synergistic. Alcohol alters the channel and receptor structure of the cell membrane, decreases intracellular calcium transients, increases oxidative and inflammatory damage, decreases structural protein synthesis and interferes with excitation-contraction coupling mechanisms. Subjects with excessive alcohol consumption may have a subclinical cardiomyopathy with atrial and LV diastolic dysfunction measured .. View More»
  DOI: 10.4172/2329-6488.1000293

  Abstract PDF

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