title: Does cirrhotic cardiomyopathy exist? 50 years of uncertainty.
abstract: Subtle abnormalities of cardiac structure or function are often identified in patients with liver cirrhosis and have been termed cirrhotic cardiomyopathy. However, in the absence of a precise definition, its diagnosis remains a challenge. Cardiac dysfunction in patients with cirrhosis can often be attributed to concomitant diseases such as hypertension, ischaemic heart disease or excess alcohol consumption in many patients. Further research is required to identify the existence, origin and importance of abnormal cardiac function due specifically to liver disease. Cardiac dysfunction may be masked by treatments given to cirrhotic patients, such as mineral-corticoid receptor antagonists, or by co-existing conditions, such as anaemia. New imaging tests or plasma biomarkers might be able to detect abnormal cardiac function at an early stage of its development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Academic Cardiology, Hull and East Yorkshire Medical Research and Teaching Centre MRTDS (Daisy) Building, Entrance 2 Castle Hill Hospital, Cottingham, Kingston upon Hull, HU16 5JQ, UK, p.pel@libero.it.
authors.forename: Pierpaolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pellicori
authors.forename: Concetta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torromeo
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calicchia
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruffa
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Iorio
authors.forename: John G F
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Cleland
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Merli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers