The effects of alcohol on the heart

Abstract

In this review we discuss the clinical features of alcoholic cardiomyopathy, which includes defects in the architecture of the mitochondria and myofibrillar apparatus, impaired cardiac contractility and biochemical abnormalities. The pathogenic mechanisms responsible for alcoholic cardiomyopathy are described, including the involvement of free radicals, myocardial ischaemia, changes in protein turnover, altered calcium homeostasis and the formation of fatty acid ethyl esters. Clinical and experimental studies confirm that dietary intake is adequate in patients with alcoholic cardiomyopthy. Due to the ethical constraints of administering alcohol and obtaining sufficient material for detailed biochemical analysis, few human studies are available. As a consequence, most of the detailed experiments have been carried out in animal models.