The effect of chronic alcohol consumption on systolic and diastolic left ventricular function.

The study population consisted of 248 patients with at least five-year (mean 8.7+/-4.2 yrs.) history of drinking, mean age (48+/-4.2 years), including 132 subjects with arterial hypertension (mild or moderate according to WHO/ISH guidelines) and 116 normotensives. A group of 48 patients with essential arterial hypertension not consuming alcohol served as controls. Groups of alcoholics with hypertension, alcoholics with normal blood pressure and the controls were compared with respect to differences in standard BP measurements and 24hr blood pressure monitoring, left ventricular mass index, systolic and diastolic left ventricular function by echocardiography. In alcohol-dependent subjects the left ventricular mass index progressed with the increasing declared consumption of ethanol and duration of abuse. The incidence of LVH in drinking hypertensives (28%) did not differ from that in non drinking hypertensives (26%), p>0.05. In hypertensives irrespective of ethanol consumption delayed relaxation was a marker of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. The present study did not confirm the hypothesis that left ventricular hypertrophy was responsible for diastolic impairment in alcohol abusers. Chronic ethanol consumption significantly deteriorated left ventricular diastolic function irrespective of its effect on blood pressure and left ventricular mass. In patients with the highest level of ethanol consumption and the longest duration of abuse ejection fraction was significantly lower than in patients with the lowest level of alcohol consumption and the shortest duration of abuse (EF 61.8% vs. EF 67.4%, p<0.05). Thus, the deterioration of systolic function is significantly related with the level of alcohol consumption and duration of abuse.