[Multicenter epidemiological survey of primary myocardiopathies. Apropos of 380 cases].

A retrospective study of adult congestive cardiomyopathy was carried out; the admission criteria being heart failure with cardiomegaly after the exclusion of known causes of heart failure. Coronary artery disease was excluded by forming two sub groups, one with proven normal coronary arteries at angiography or autopsy and the other with only assumedly normal coronary arteries. The results concern the study of the incidence of this disease which has been regularly seen over the last 10 years in departments with a large number of referrals of cardiomyopathy. --Professional factors are analysed to see if there is a higher incidence amongst the working classes. --Other factors are analysed by comparison with three control groups: normal, coronary and valvular disease, and diabetes which may be a predisposing factor, but not the serum cholesterol which is decreased in these patients. There is a significant association with smoking and alcoholism and the main biological sign of the latter condition, macrocytosis. This is also found in both coronary sub groups. The isolation of this alcohol factor in the genesis of congestive cardiomyopathy implies the possibility of reversing or stabilising the myocardial damage after its withdrawal, so changing the severe diagnosis associated with this disease.