Abstract:

Objective    To investigate cardiac structure and function in patients with symptomatic alcoholic cardiomyopathy(ACM) and estimate the therapeutic effect of alcohol abstinence and drugs by echocardiography. Methods    Thirty-four patients with symptomatic ACM were enrolled in the observation group, and the parameters of cardiac structure and function were measured by echocardiography and compared with thirty-four healthy subjects (the control group). ACM patients were administered anti-heart failure drugs besides alcohol abstinence, and the changes of cardiac parameters were re-examined by echocardiography during follow-up of 12 patients. Results    Compared with the control group, the dimensions of all  cardiac chambers and left ventricular mass index(LVMI) were significantly increased and left ventricular systolic function was decreased in the observation group(P<0.01). No statistical difference was found in the mitral E peak and A peak(P>0.05), while the proportion of patients whose E/A ratio was >2 was larger in the observation group. The left ventricular end-diastolic dimension(LVEDD) and LVMI was decreased(P<0.01，P<0.05) and the left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) was increased after treatment(P<0.01), while dimensions of other cardiac chambers and pulmonary artery systolic pressure(PASP) had no statistical difference(P>0.05). Conclusion    Echocardiography is a non-invasive method, which can be used in the evaluation of cardiac structure and function, and in the estimation of treatment and prognosis in symptomatic ACM patients.

Key words: Alcoholic cardiomyopathy; Echocardiography; Cardiac function; Left ventricular mass