title: Coexistence of cardiomyopathy and chronic liver disease in non-moderate drinkers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The dose-response relationship suggests a toxic effect of alcohol on heart and liver and the possibility of a correlation between alcohol-induced liver and heart disease. The present study was aimed to look into the relationship between chronic liver and heart muscle disease among the non-moderate drinkers in our context.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational study on non-moderate chronic drinkers was carried out. Clinical evaluation along with detail sonographic study of heart and liver was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-eight percent had echocardiographic features consistent with heart muscle disease, either as a dilated cardiomyopathy, categorized by the presence of echo features of impaired LV systolic function and dilated left ventricle or as a possible cardiomyopathy categorized by the presence of any of these two echo features. Similarly, 56 of the total recruits showed ultrasonographic evidence of chronic liver disease as cirrhosis or early cirrhosis. Approximately, 86% of these 56 non-moderate drinkers with chronic liver disease also had echocardiographic features of heart muscle disease and 83% of the 58 non-moderate drinkers showing echo features of heart muscle disease had ultrasonographic features of chronic liver disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed a strongly positive relationship on the coexistence of chronic liver disease and cardiomyopathy among the non-moderate drinkers. Non-moderate drinkers with chronic liver disease have a high likelihood of having a concurrent clinical or sub-clinical heart muscle disease and vice versa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, College of Medical Sciences, Bharatpur, Nepal.
authors.forename: Mani Prasad
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Gautam
authors.forename: Usha
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ghimire
authors.forename: Gangapatnam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Subramanyam
authors.forename: Sogunuru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guruprasad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009390:Nepal; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: alcohol, chronic liver disease, heart muscle disease, non-moderate drinking