Abstract
To detect the influence of alcohol intake on heart disease, 378 cases of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Juntendo University Hospital and 66 cases in Koshigaya City Hospital were reviewed. One hundred and fifty-two cases of myocardial disease and 64 autopsied cases of myocardial disease were also studied. Clinical examination data of 107 cases of chronic alcoholism and 53 cases of alcoholic hepatic disease were analyzed.
The results were as follows.
1) In Japan, alcohol consumption and IHD have increased in recent years.
2) In the past, many patients with AMI were abstainers, while drinkers with AMI have not been rare in the last few years.
3) In this study, it was not concluded that alchol consumption was a negative risk factor in IHD. In 10 to 13% of cases with AMI, a history of alcohol intake following the heart attack was detected.
4) Electrocardiographic abnormality and cardiomegaly were common in patients with chronic alcoholism and alcoholic hepatic disease.
5) In an echocardiographic study of 25 cases of chronic alcoholism, three showed a decreased ejection fraction and four cases also showed a decrease of mean velocity of circumferential fiber shortening (mVCF). The impairment of LV function in these cases may suggest that habitual heavy drinking reduces the systolic LV function.
6) In our 152 cases of myocardial disease, 15 were diagnosed as alcoholic heart disease because of their habitual heavy drinking.
7) Six cases of alcoholic heart disease were autopsied. Macroscopic examination showed increased heart weight and marked dilatation of the left ventricle. Microscopic examination revealed myocardial hypertrophy, degeneration and intramyocardial fibrosis.
