Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy
Alternate Names : Cardiomyopathy - Alcoholic
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Diagnosis & Tests
The examination and tests are directed at diagnosing and evaluating heart failure . Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is usually diagnosed when chronic heavy drinking is discovered as a cause of the heart failure.
Alcoholic patients often also have vitamin deficiencies, especially thiamin deficiency. (The more severe form of this deficiency is beriberi.) Thiamin deficiency also causes alcoholic brain damage (Korsakoff's syndrome, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome).
The physical examination may reveal an irregular or rapid heartbeat. There may be distended neck veins, enlarged liver, swelling of the arms and legs, and signs of pleural effusion (fluid around the lungs). Listening to the chest with a stethoscope may reveal lung crackles or abnormal heart sounds. Blood pressure may be low or may drop when the patient stands.
Heart failure may show on these tests:
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