Excess alcohol consumption could not only impair our liver functions, but also lead to serious cardiovascular complications. Prolonged consumption of excess alcohol leads to dilation of cardiac muscles, thereby impairing heart functions and blood circulation.
“Excess alcohol consumption leads to weakening of heart muscle and this condition is called alcoholic cardiomyopathy,” says Dr Nikesh Jain, consultant cardiologist, Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre, Mumbai. Technically, there is no fixed or specific level of alcohol consumption. Basically, daily consumption of excess alcohol is harmful to heart and could lead to conditions like alcoholic cardiomyopathy.
What is alcoholic cardiomyopathy?
According to Dr Brijesh Shrivastava, interventional cardiologist, Rhythm Heart Clinic, Bhopal, alcohol weakens cardiac muscles and directly affects their synchronized contraction. The dilated muscles also lose their elasticity which further reduces the heart’s capacity to pump blood across the body.
Dr Vanita Arora, senior consultant electrophysiologist & interventional cardiologist, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi, says, alcohol impacts every individual differently based on the amount consumed, individual predisposition and general health. The recommended limit is about 30 to 60 ml in a week.
Causes of alcoholic cardiomyopathy
“People with diabetes, hypertension or blockage in the heart are at higher risk of developing cardiomyopathy or heart failure,” says Dr Shrivastava. Other risk factors include high cholesterol, obesity, chronic kidney disease and renal failure. Concurrent existence of all these conditions will add to the progression of heart failure.
Dr Naveen Chandra, consultant interventional cardiologist, Manipal Hospital, Varthur Road, Bengaluru, says that consuming significant amount of alcohol, about 80 to 90 ml per day for five years can lead to alcoholic cardiomyopathy.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines heavy drinking for men as consuming more than 4 drinks per day or 14 drinks per week, and for women as consuming more than 3 drinks per day or 7 drinks per week.
Effect of binge drinking on heart rate
“Binge drinking can lead to atrial fibrillation,” says Dr Shrivastava. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines binge drinking as consuming five drinks or more on an occasion for men and four drinks or more on an occasion for women.
One episode of binge drinking will not lead to weakening of heart or cause alcoholic cardiomyopathy. However, it will lead to onset of arrhythmia and increase in blood pressure.
How to manage alcoholic cardiomyopathy
Dr Shrivastava says alcohol induced cardiomyopathy has to be addressed and managed on time as it could lead to heart failure and increase the mortality risk of the individual. Avoiding drinking is essential for recovering from alcoholic cardiomyopathy.
Dr Shrivastava also adds that total abstinence from alcohol could improve the ejection fraction of the heart by 10 to 15 percent which will considerably increase blood circulation rate. Ejection fraction measures the amount of blood pumped by the heart with each contraction of the heart muscles.
He also added that alcohol abstinence and medication prescribed by cardiologists would be the best options to treat alcohol induced cardiomyopathy, thereby improving overall functioning of the heart.
Is this condition reversible?
Experts says that alcohol induced cardiomyopathy is reversible if it is diagnosed at an early stage and complete abstinence from alcohol is maintained. “Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is the disease of cardiac muscle, which causes changes in the heart musculature (cardiac muscle). If the heart musculature is irreversibly damaged, then the condition is irreversible,” says Dr Chandra. The reversibility is based on the muscle damage rather than the duration of alcohol consumption, he adds. Alcoholic cardiomyopathy usually takes around 5 to 10 years to develop.
“If the condition is in severe or irreversible stage, then even with complete abstinence from alcohol, it’s very difficult to reverse the condition,” he says.
Takeaways
- Prolonged alcohol abuse could lead to serious cardiac complications including alcoholic cardiomyopathy.
- In alcohol induced cardiomyopathy, alcohol weakens the cardiac muscles and leads to their dilation. This reduces the heart’s blood pumping capacity and hence if left unaddressed, it could lead to heart failure.
