Moderate Alcohol Consumption Alters Cardiac Structure

Among the elderly, moderate alcohol consumption was linked to alterations in cardiac structure and function, and women were more likely to experience the cardio toxic impact of alcohol compared to men, according to a recent study.

In the past, studies have found an association between excessive alcohol intake and cardiomyopathy, however the impact of moderate alcohol consumption on cardiac structure and function was unknown.
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For their study, researchers evaluated 4466 patients, mean age 76 years old, from the Atherscerosis Risk in Communities study who underwent transthoracic echocardiography, 60% of which were women. Researchers excluded former drinkers and participants with major valvular disease.

Participants underwent transthoracic echocardiography and were grouped into 4 categories based on self-reported alcohol intake: nondrinkers, drinkers of ≤7, 8 to 14, and ≥14 drinks per week.

Overall, the study showed that heightened alcohol consumption was linked to a larger left ventricular (diastolic and systolic) diameters and a bigger left atrial diameter (P<0.05) in both men and women.  

For women, researchers discovered an association between increased alcohol use and modestly lower left ventricular ejection fraction (−1.9±0.6% per consumption category; P=0.002) and worse LV peak global longitudinal strain: 0.45±0.25% per consumption category; P=0.07.

In contrast, men appeared to experience less cardio toxic effects from alcohol and exhibited elevating diastolic pressures. Their increased alcohol intake was associated with a greater left ventricle mass (8.2±3.8 g per consumption category; P=0.029) and elevated E/E’ ratio (0.82±0.33 per consumption category; P=0.014).

The complete study is published in the May issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging.

-Michelle Canales Butcher

References:

Goncalves A, Jhund PS, Claggett B, et al. Relationships between alcohol consumption and cardiac structure and function in the elderly. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2015 May [epub ahead of print] doi: 10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.114.002846.