The burden of alcoholic cardiomyopathy in China and different regions around the world

Dilated cardiomyopathy occurs when your heart’s main pumping chamber becomes enlarged. Lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, losing excess weight, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and reducing stress will also help treat alcoholic cardiomyopathy. Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is found more in men who are between the ages of 35 and 50, but women can also be diagnosed with the disease. Depending on the severity of your addiction, you may start with inpatient treatment and then step down to less intensive forms of treatment. People who are in recovery from addiction usually need ongoing support to maintain their sobriety. Catheters with electrodes at the tips are guided through the blood vessels to the heart.

The AHA also reports that any potential benefits that red wine may create can be obtained from other non-alcoholic sources, such as grape juice. If a person continues to drink after the onset of alcoholic cardiomyopathy, https://ecosoberhouse.com/ the outcome is not good. The Canadian Journal of Cardiology warns that as many as 42 percent of people who continue to regularly consume alcohol after being diagnosed with the disease are likely to die within three years.

What is the long-term outlook for someone with alcoholic cardiomyopathy?

In a 1986 study, Richardson et al concluded that continuous, rather than episodic, drinking was a major risk factor for the development of heart failure and that this effect was unrelated to the hypertensive effect of alcohol. In the study, the authors evaluated 38 patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy. Of these persons, 18 were classified as heavy drinkers (ie, 80 g/d or a lifetime dose of 250 kg), and 20 were classified as abstinent or light drinkers. Those classified as heavy drinkers all were men who predominantly drank beer. Long-term alcohol use has been implicated as the etiology of left ventricular dysfunction in as many as one third of cases of dilated cardiomyopathy. The mechanism by which alcohol causes cardiac damage remains unclear.

Despite the key clinical importance of alcohol as a cause of DCM, little information has been published on the long-term outcome of patients with ACM in China. The aims of the present study were to define the long-term outcome of ACM, to compare the patient characteristics between the death and survival groups, and to determine prognostic markers. This study aimed to identify risk factors related to a poor outcome in ACM patients.

3 Relationship between independent predictors and all-cause mortality

Genetic factors and other medical conditions can be involved in the onset of dilated cardiomyopathy as well. For example, the manner in which a person’s body metabolizes alcohol, which is often genetic and biological, may influence how alcohol will impact the heart. Myocardial depression is initially reversible but, if alcohol consumption is sustained, can lead to myocyte vacuolization, mitochondrial abnormalities, and myocardial fibrosis. Even in chronic stages, however, the heart failure represents a sum of both reversible and irreversible myocardial dysfunction.

This may be accomplished through diet, medications, or other methods that may include installing a defibrillator or pacemaker in some cases to take some pressure off the heart. Medical professionals can devise a plan to improve ACM and possibly even reverse some of the damage to the heart. Decreasing alcohol intake is always important in the treatment of ACM as well. The biggest factor in preventing alcoholic cardiomyopathy recovery time alcohol cardiomyopathy is decreasing your alcohol consumption. By stopping heavy drinking or alcohol use entirely, or only drinking in moderation, you can prevent numerous health problems. As previously stated, the first step in treatment will be abstaining from alcohol. Since alcoholic cardiomyopathy comes after years of alcohol usage, your doctor may recommend an addiction treatment rehab program.