title: Alcoholic cardiomyopathy.
abstract: Alcohol is the most frequently consumed toxic substance in the world. Low to moderate daily intake of alcohol has been shown to have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system. In contrast, exposure to high levels of alcohol for a long period could lead to progressive cardiac dysfunction and heart failure. Cardiac dysfunction associated with chronic and excessive alcohol intake is a specific cardiac disease known as alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM). In spite of its clinical importance, data on ACM and how alcohol damages the heart are limited. In this review, we evaluate available evidence linking excessive alcohol consumption with heart failure and dilated cardiomyopathy. Additionally, we discuss the clinical presentation, prognosis and treatment of ACM.
authors.affiliation: Gonzalo Guzzo-Merello, Marta Cobo-Marcos, Maria Gallego-Delgado, Pablo Garcia-Pavia, Heart Failure and Inherited Cardiac Diseases Unit, Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, 28222 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guzzo-Merello
authors.affiliation: Gonzalo Guzzo-Merello, Marta Cobo-Marcos, Maria Gallego-Delgado, Pablo Garcia-Pavia, Heart Failure and Inherited Cardiac Diseases Unit, Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, 28222 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cobo-Marcos
authors.affiliation: Gonzalo Guzzo-Merello, Marta Cobo-Marcos, Maria Gallego-Delgado, Pablo Garcia-Pavia, Heart Failure and Inherited Cardiac Diseases Unit, Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, 28222 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gallego-Delgado
authors.affiliation: Gonzalo Guzzo-Merello, Marta Cobo-Marcos, Maria Gallego-Delgado, Pablo Garcia-Pavia, Heart Failure and Inherited Cardiac Diseases Unit, Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, 28222 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Garcia-Pavia
keywords: Alcohol; Alcoholic cardiomyopathy; Dilated cardiomyopathy; Heart failure