The relation of moderate alcohol drinking and congestive heart insufficiency
Carpinteri, G.; Caruso, G.; Mazzone, O.; Trovato, G.
Recenti Progressi in Medicina 84(6): 409-414
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0034-1193 PMID: 8516547 Document Number: 412920
116 patients (53 women and 63 men) with congestive heart failure, secondary to chronic ischemic heart disease and/or hypertensive heart disease, were studied with the aim of assessing effects of moderate alcohol use on the clinical features of the disease. Two subgroups were considered: a) 57 moderate drinkers (11 women and 46 men); b) 59 non-drinkers or ex-drinkers (42 women, 17 men). Left ventricular mass/m2 (LVM/m2) is higher among moderate drinkers in comparison with non-drinkers (p < 0.001); this difference is present both in men (p < 0.05) and in women (p < 0.001). These results suggest that higher LVM/m2 of drinkers does not depend on sex and cigarette smoking; i.e., in males, a subgroup with the same prevalence of cigarette smokers among drinkers and non drinkers, congestive heart failure of drinkers is associated with a greater left ventricular enlargement. Our results suggest that moderate alcohol use can represent an additional pathogenetic factor for more severe clinical and laboratory features of congestive heart failure.