How alcohol-induced cardiomyopathy develops and manifests. Harm from the effects of alcoholic beverages on the heart

Doctors know how common heart disease is – about 1 in 12 people suffer from it. What we don't always know is the link between alcohol and heart disease. On the one hand, researchers have known for centuries that excessive drinking can damage the heart.

Drinking a lot of alcohol over a long period of time or drinking too much at one time can put your heart - and your life - in danger. On the other hand, researchers now know that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol may protect some people's hearts from the risks of coronary heart disease.

Deciding how much alcohol is acceptable for you - if you need it at all - is difficult enough. In order to make the best decision for yourself, you need to read the facts and then consult a doctor.

Your circulatory system is made up of the heart, blood vessels, and blood. This system is constantly at work - every second of your life - delivering oxygen and nutrients to your cells, and removing carbon dioxide and other waste material.

Your heart provides this process. It is a muscle that contracts and relaxes over and over again, moving the blood along the necessary path. Your heart beats approximately 100,000 times each day, pumping the equivalent of 75,000 liters of blood throughout your body.

The two sides, or chambers, of the heart receive blood and pump it back into the body. The right ventricle of the heart pumps blood to the lungs in order to exchange carbon dioxide from the cells for oxygen. The heart relaxes to allow this blood to return to the left chamber. It then pumps oxygenated blood to tissues and organs. The blood passes through the kidneys, allowing the body to get rid of the waste products of metabolism. Electrical signals maintain continuity and the required heart rate.

Prolonged, heavy drinking weakens the heart muscle, causing a disease called alcoholic cardiomyopathy. The weakened heart sags and stretches so that it can no longer contract effectively. As a result, it cannot pump enough blood to feed the organs.

In some cases, this reduction in blood flow causes severe damage to organs and tissues. Symptoms of cardiomyopathy include shortness of breath and other breathing difficulties, fatigue, swelling of the legs and feet, and irregular heartbeat. This can lead to heart failure.

Arrhythmias

Binge drinking and long-term drinking can affect how fast your heart beats. The heart depends on the internal conduction system of the heart to keep it constantly beating and at the right rate. Alcohol disrupts this system and causes the heart to beat too fast or irregularly. These abnormal heart rhythms are called arrhythmias.

The two types of alcohol-induced arrhythmias are:

• Atrial fibrillation. With this form of arrhythmia, the atria tremble weakly, but do not contract. Blood may collect and even form clots in the upper chambers. If a blood clot (thrombus) travels from the heart to the brain, a stroke may occur; if it travels to other organs, such as the lungs, an embolism, or blockage of blood vessels, occurs.
• Ventricular tachycardia. This form of arrhythmia occurs in the ventricles of the heart. Electrical signals travel throughout the heart muscle, causing contractions that keep blood flow at the right pace. Alcohol-induced damage to the heart muscle can cause these electrical impulses to circulate through the ventricles too frequently, causing a large number of contractions. The heart beats too fast and therefore does not fill enough between beats. As a result, the rest of the body does not receive enough blood. Ventricular tachycardia causes dizziness, confusion, loss of consciousness, cardiac arrest, and even sudden cardiac death.

Drinking a lot of alcohol on an individual occasion - especially if you don't normally drink - can cause any of these arrhythmias. In these cases, the problem is referred to as "holiday heart syndrome" because people who don't normally drink can drink too much alcohol at parties during the holidays.

Long-term, chronic drinking alters the electrical impulses that control the heart's contractions, which creates an arrhythmia.

A stroke occurs when blood cannot reach the brain. In about 80% of strokes, a blood clot cuts off blood flow to the brain. Such strokes are called ischemic. Sometimes, blood accumulates in the brain, causing a hemorrhagic stroke.

Both binge drinking and long-term alcohol abuse can lead to strokes even in people without coronary heart disease. Recent studies have shown that people who drink heavily are 56% more likely to develop an ischemic stroke than those who never drink heavily over 10 years. Heavy drinkers are also about 39% more likely to develop any type of stroke than people who never drink heavily.

In addition, alcohol exacerbates problems that often lead to stroke, including arrhythmias, hypertension, and cardiomyopathy.

Arterial hypertension

Chronic alcohol use, as well as binge drinking, can cause high blood pressure, or hypertension. Your blood pressure is a measure of the pressure your heart creates with each beat and the pressure inside your arteries and veins. Healthy blood vessels stretch like elastic when the heart pumps blood through them. Hypertension develops when blood vessels become stiff, making them less flexible.

Alcohol abuse triggers the release of certain stress hormones, which in turn constrict blood vessels. This increases blood pressure. In addition, alcohol can affect the function of the muscles in the blood vessels, causing them to contract and raising blood pressure.

Alcohol also has health benefits:

Studies show that healthy people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol may have a lower risk of coronary heart disease than non-drinkers. Moderate drinking is generally defined as no more than two drinks each day for men and no more than one drink per day for women who are not pregnant or trying to get pregnant.

A number of factors - including diet, heredity, high blood pressure, age - can cause fat to accumulate in your arteries, causing coronary heart disease.

Excess fat narrows the lumen of the coronary arteries, which are the vessels that supply blood to the heart. Narrowing of the artery reduces blood flow to the heart muscle, and makes it easier for blood clots to form in the vessel. Blood clots can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

According to recent research, moderate drinking may protect your heart from these disorders. Moderate alcohol consumption helps to suppress and reduce the accumulation of fat in the arteries.

It can increase levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) - or "good" cholesterol - in the blood, which protects against heart disease. It may protect against myocardial infarction and stroke by preventing blood clots from forming and dissolving clots that have already formed. Moderate drinking can also help maintain blood pressure levels.

These benefits may not apply to people with existing medical conditions, or those who take certain medications on a regular basis. In addition, researchers do not advise people to start drinking just for the health benefits. Chances are you can use the results of these studies to help you start talking to your doctors about the best choice for you.

We try to provide the most relevant and useful information for you and your health. The materials posted on this page are for informational purposes and are intended for educational purposes. Site visitors should not use them as medical advice. Determining the diagnosis and choosing a treatment method remains the exclusive prerogative of your doctor! We are not responsible for possible negative consequences resulting from the use of information posted on the website.

26.10.2017 Doctor Evgenia Alexandrovna Miroshnikova 0

What effect does alcohol have on the heart?

There are no such organs in the human body that would not feel the traumatic effects of alcoholic beverages. But most of all, alcohol affects the heart and blood vessels.

In cardiology, there is such a diagnosis - cardiomyopathy. It occurs as a result of toxic effects on the heart muscle with ethyl alcohol. With this disease, irreversible pathological changes occur, expressed by stretching and thinning of the muscle tissue that makes up the heart ventricles and atria, as well as the septa between them.

As a result of stretching, these parts of the heart become:

• very thin;
• flabby;
• muscles lose their tone and contractility;
• the organ itself can no longer function at full capacity.

According to statistics, the disease presented today has become a frequent occurrence, and most often men suffering from alcoholism are exposed to it. The course of the disorder is most clearly manifested in those social groups of the population whose level of prosperity does not allow them to consume a sufficient amount of animal proteins, mineral and vitamin complexes with food.

Data have been recorded that such a change in the heart muscle is observed in half of the contingent that abuses alcoholic beverages, and this is not only strong alcohol, beer affects the heart in a similar way. The mortality rate for cardiomyopathy is up to 25 percent of the total number of cases.

Cardiomyopathy develops slowly, more than one year, but its consequences can no longer be corrected.
First, a person:

• sleep patterns are disturbed;
• headache often begins to disturb;
• cardiac arrhythmia appears.

Then others are added to the listed symptoms - shortness of breath increases, first with exertion, and then it manifests itself even at rest. Further, tissue edema joins, but they are by no means associated with the use of a large amount of liquid - these are the so-called "cardiac edema" caused by a malfunction of the heart muscle.

Usually drinkers ignore the manifestation of the disorder in the early stages of development, and soon it begins to progress rapidly.

Such patients are easy to identify even by visual signs that are common to a large number of cardiopathologies:

• persistent hyperemia of the skin of the face and neck;
• phenomena of cyanosis on the face - a purple nasolabial triangle (including the nose);
• the vessels of the eyeballs are dilated, the vasculature merges, there are yellowish areas on the sclera;
• often there is an uncontrollable trembling of the hands;
• behavior is characterized by motor and speech disinhibition.

The effect of alcohol on the heart and blood vessels manifests itself in a typical way:

• there are sensations of difficulty in breathing and lack of air;
• feeling of squeezing pain behind the sternum;
• sleep patterns are disturbed;
• worried about the heartbeat;
• pouring sweat;
• blood circulation of the upper and lower extremities is disturbed - they become cold to the touch, often lose their sensitivity.

In addition, the functioning of the liver and kidneys is disrupted - congestive tissue edema appears.

These symptoms become permanent, they do not leave the person, even if he refrains from taking new doses of alcohol for some period.

The positive effect of alcohol on the heart

Studying the question of how alcohol and the heart interact, scientists came to the conclusion that ethyl alcohol can still have a positive effect on cardiovascular activity, but only at a reasonable dosage.

However, it should be understood that alcohol is not a medicine, it is not a source of health even when consumed in moderation.

It is believed that with limited use, the dose of alcohol:

• dilates blood vessels;
• relieve spasm from them and improve blood circulation;
• normalizes blood pressure.

A certain reference dosage that is safe for health is considered to be one that does not exceed the content of 14 grams of ethyl alcohol in a drink:

1. the beer dose is 360 milliliters for beer with a strength of 5 degrees;
2. the dose of vodka and cognac is 45 milliliters with a drink strength of 40 degrees;
3. the dosage of wine is 150 milliliters with a drink strength of 12 degrees.

Cardiologists, in order to have a positive effect of alcohol on the heart, consider it possible to use 2 alcoholic doses for men and 1 dose for women, in order to prevent cardiovascular diseases. You can use them no more than once or twice a month.

The positive impact of reference doses of alcohol is as follows:

• prevents the deposition of cholesterol in the walls of blood vessels;
• has anticoagulant properties, thereby preventing the development of thromboembolism;
• increases blood pressure with hypotension;
• has a vasodilating and spastic effect on the walls of blood vessels;
• enhances blood circulation, normalizes heart rate.

In order to use alcoholic beverages not only correctly, but with benefit, you need to know what to drink and for what purpose, use the correct dosages, take into account the state of health, and also assess all risks without prejudice.

The effect of various alcohol products on the heart muscle

Cardiologists often face a question from their patients about whether cognac is good for the heart. This strong alcoholic drink has long been famous for its tonic properties. A high-quality natural product has a positive effect on the heart muscle and vascular tone, if used without exceeding the norm.

Cognac tannins, combined with a bouquet of organic plant components:

• regulate blood pressure;
• normalize the number of blood platelets;
• give cheerfulness;
• tone the blood vessels.

Wine

Grape wines, and especially red wine, contain plant polyphenols. These substances also have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system when consumed in moderation.

In addition, grape wine activates the process of hematopoiesis by liver cells. The herbal components of the drink reduce the risk of developing cancer, and also reduce inflammation, if any, in the body.

Wine made from grapes has proven to be an effective remedy for fighting cholesterol, its small dosages will be a good prevention of atherosclerosis. When blood pressure drops, wine will also have a beneficial effect, especially varieties from red grapes.

Beer

Beer contains small doses of ethyl alcohol. Traditionally, it is drunk in our country more often than other alcoholic beverages, since beer products belong to the category of low-alcohol drinks. A distinctive feature of beer is its pronounced diuretic effect, due to the ability of the malt drink to stimulate the kidneys and adrenal glands.

With a moderate dosage, beer:

• lowers blood pressure during hypertension;
• stimulates the urinary system;
• tones the heart and blood vessels.

As for vodka, as well as other strong drinks, their consumption should be minimal, since the ethanol content in them is the highest. With a therapeutic purpose for the regulation of blood pressure and vascular tone, cardiologists recommend making tinctures based on vodka at home using medicinal herbs, flowers, and berries.

The use of therapeutic doses of such tinctures has a remarkable effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Such medicines are added to tea from a few drops to 1 to 2 teaspoons.

Summing up

There is no doubt that alcohol affects the heart, but only our actions will show what this effect will be. Any poison is a medicine, and any medicine is a poison. It all depends on the understanding of a reasonable dosage.

In the presence of a culture of drinking alcoholic beverages, they can be beneficial and enjoyable. If this culture is neglected, the consequences will be sad.

Today, diseases of the cardiovascular system are increasingly common, which, among other things, are associated with an immoderate love for alcoholic beverages. And at the same time, from time to time there are statements in the commercial press that supposedly alcohol in “moderate” amounts strengthens the work of the heart and prolongs life. But is it really so? Do alcoholics and drunkards have the healthiest hearts in the world? Or is it just beneficial for someone, because the production of alcoholic beverages is more than profitable? So what is the effect of alcohol on the heart?

What happens to the heart when drinking alcohol?

In fact, alcohol is a real cellular poison - it increases blood pressure, penetrates into the cells of the heart muscle and damages them. Even a single intake of alcohol disrupts the functioning of a vital organ for several days at once, and for the first 7 hours after the start of drinking, our heart is completely worn out. At the same time, the nutrition of the heart muscle deteriorates significantly, and the pulse quickens to 100 beats per minute. At the same time, there is a narrowing of the capillaries, which begin to burst due to too thick blood - which is why the hallmark of those who like to look into a glass is a red nose. Blood supply is also disturbed, and as a result, oxygen starvation of the heart occurs. Unfortunately, all these phenomena are not temporary, but become chronic - shortness of breath, heart pain, tachycardia develop, and all this against the background of hypertension and early atherosclerosis. As a result, cardiovascular insufficiency develops - it is she who is the cause of death in men 40-45 years old.

Heart pain after drinking alcohol

Usually pains are observed between the shoulder blades and in the region of the heart and occur after drinking alcohol, and sometimes the next day. This is a very alarming signal that speaks of a number of irreversible processes that develop in the body of a drinker. It is no coincidence that American cardiologists called such cases “spree heart”, because alcohol interferes with the full conduction of the heart and removes B vitamins from the body, which causes damage to the nerve fibers of the heart muscle.

Usually such pains last about an hour and are cutting, aching or paroxysmal in nature.

There are other pains associated with alcohol intake:

1. With an attack of angina pectoris, a constriction of the heart is felt, while pain radiates to the left side of the body - usually to the shoulder, arm. All this lasts no more than 30 minutes.
2. With myocardial infarction, the pain is similar to angina pectoris, but lasts much longer than half an hour and increases over time.
3. Other signs of heart failure that can be observed even in young people are all kinds of arrhythmias, expressed in shortness of breath, dizziness, pains of a pressing nature in the chest.

Causes, symptoms and prognosis of alcoholic cardiomyopathy

Let's continue to study the effect of alcohol on the heart.

Most often, people who abuse alcohol for two to three years have alcoholic cardiomyopathy (aka myocardial dystrophy). The main symptoms are shortness of breath and arrhythmia - these are signs of primary cardiomyopathy, which, with timely access to a cardiologist, can be treated. However, if the moment is missed, the second stage of the disease develops (muffled heart sounds are heard), and then the third (edema, asthma attacks, irreversibility of processes in the myocardium) - in this case, an unexpected death is very likely.

Provoking factors in the development of the disease are stress, heredity, malnutrition, complications of viral infections.

We tie with alcohol - we restore the heart?

Unfortunately, heart failure can be cured only in the early stages and with the help of medication, proper diet, sports and good sleep. But if changes such as dystrophy, proliferation of fatty tissues and thickening of the myocardial walls occur, which occur in 2-3 years of alcoholism, it will not be possible to completely get rid of them.

But it is possible to prevent further deterioration of the situation - after giving up alcohol, blood circulation is mostly normalized, metabolism improves, the pathological load is reduced and the growth of adipose tissue of the heart stops.

Heart failure. Heart failure from alcohol

Heart failure is a widespread disease. Heart failure is a condition where, as a result of damage to the heart, the heart muscle is weakened and cannot satisfactorily perform its pumping function. As a result, the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the body is disrupted.

Causes of heart failure

Heart failure most often develops as a result of coronary heart disease (myocardial infarction, angina pectoris). Arterial hypertension, valvular heart disease and cardiomyopathy also lead to heart failure.

How does chronic heart failure manifest itself?

The most common symptoms are shortness of breath and weakness. At first, daily physical activity is not accompanied by weakness, shortness of breath, or palpitations. Then somewhat limited, but no complaints at rest. Daily activities can cause weakness, shortness of breath, or palpitations. Over time, as the disease progresses, complaints appear with little physical exertion and at rest.

With heart failure, edema develops due to water and sodium retention in the body. They appear first in the ankle area and disappear after rest or towards the end of the day, and then can spread and do not disappear after a night's rest.

Medical therapy for heart failure

Only a doctor after the examination can make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment. Different groups of drugs are used to treat heart failure. Regular and correct intake of medicines will help improve the health of patients. You need to know the names and doses of the drugs you are taking and strictly follow your doctor's orders. Of particular importance in improving the health of patients are non-drug methods of treatment.

Weight monitoring

Patients are advised to weigh themselves regularly (it is better to plant during some daily activities, for example, after the morning toilet), and in case of a sudden inexplicable weight gain of more than 2 kg in three days, inform the doctor or increase the dose of the diuretic.

Diet

Salt restriction (2-5 g/day) is more important in severe heart failure. Salt substitutes should be used with caution, as they can contain potassium and in large quantities, especially when taking ACE inhibitors, cause hyperkalemia.

Liquid

Patients with severe heart failure, regardless of the presence of hyponatremia, are shown to limit free fluid to 0.6 l / day. Vitamins A1, B1, B2, C, PP are added. Fractional nutrition (for the whole day of bread 150 g, sugar 40 g, butter 10 g).

It is acceptable to drink alcohol in moderate doses (a bottle of beer or 1-2 glasses of wine per day). If alcoholic cardiomyopathy is suspected, alcohol is excluded.

In obese patients, treatment for heart failure includes weight loss. Overweight is said if the body mass index (BMI) = weight (kg) / height (m2) is 25-30; if it exceeds 30, obesity is diagnosed.

Pathological weight loss

Pathological weight loss is observed in approximately 50% of patients with heart failure. The reduction in fat and lean body mass that accompanies this weight loss is called cardiac cachexia. This condition is an important predictor of reduced life expectancy. Pathological weight loss should be suspected if:

• body weight less than 90% of ideal

The goal of treatment is to achieve weight gain not due to edema, but preferably due to muscle mass through adequate physical activity. If weight loss is due to nausea, shortness of breath, or a feeling of fullness in the stomach, frequent small meals are recommended.

Smoking cessation is desirable in all cases. The use of aids, such as patches containing nicotine, chewing gums, etc., should be strongly encouraged.

It is contraindicated to stay in the highlands, places with a hot or humid climate. Short air travel is preferable to long trips by other modes of transport. In severe heart failure, long flights are fraught with complications (dehydration, severe swelling of the legs, deep vein thrombosis are possible), which patients should be warned about. Possible consequences of changing the diet while traveling in the form of acute gastroenteritis. With the loss of water and salt in a hot and humid climate, the dose of diuretics and vasodilators should be adjusted accordingly.

sex life

It is impossible to give unambiguous recommendations on sexual life. If necessary, it is recommended to take nitrates under the tongue before sexual intercourse and refrain from particularly violent emotions. In functional class II, the risk of decompensation provoked by sexual activity is medium, and in functional class III-IV, it is high. Little is known about the effect of heart failure treatment on sexual function.

Immunization

There are no reliable data on the consequences of immunization in heart failure. Immunization against pneumococcal disease and influenza reduces the risk of respiratory infections that can worsen heart failure. Influenza immunization is widely used.

In acute heart failure or destabilization of chronic heart failure, rest is necessary up to bed rest. To prevent the undesirable consequences of bed rest, including vein thrombosis, passive exercises are performed. As the condition improves, they move on to breathing exercises and gradually increase activity.

If the patient's condition is stable, then moderate physical activity, which prevents muscle detraining, should be encouraged. Patients with severe functional disorders are recommended short workouts (15-20 minutes) 3-5 times a week. The intensity of training is selected so that the heart rate reaches 60-80% of the predetermined maximum value. Preference is given to walking at an average pace (60-80 steps per minute).

The doctor must conduct a conversation with the patient so that the patient can actively participate in the treatment. The patient must know and understand:

1. improvement may be slow and incomplete even after weeks, and with some drugs - months of treatment;
2. doses of ACE inhibitors, angiotensive receptor blockers and beta-blockers should be gradually increased to a certain level, although this will not bring a direct improvement in the condition;
3. in case of dehydration (at rest, with profuse sweating in a hot climate), the dose of diuretics should be reduced;
4. with a decrease in blood pressure, it is necessary to reduce the dose of diuretics, and, if necessary, ACE inhibitors, angiotensive receptor blockers and beta-blockers;
5. ACE inhibitors can cause cough and taste disturbances;
6. concomitantly with ACE inhibitors, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should not be taken;
7. in case of sudden onset of shortness of breath or as a preventive measure in certain situations, nitrates can be taken - in the form of tablets under the tongue or aerosol.

The treatment of heart failure has several goals. First, the elimination of the symptoms characteristic of this disease. Secondly, and no less important, is to protect organs from damage: the heart, kidneys, lungs, brain, liver, blood vessels. The third goal is to improve the patient's quality of life. This means that the treatment of heart failure should provide the patient with the opportunity to live the same full life as his healthy peers live.

Alcoholism is the cause of heart disease

The effect of alcohol on the heart is somewhat controversial.

Some experts argue that dry red wine is even good for the heart muscle, as it contains antioxidants and other beneficial substances that support the metabolism in the myocardium. Until now, some Western and domestic doctors recommend that young patients who have had myocarditis drink a glass of heated red wine 2-3 times a week for a month to speed up the recovery of the heart muscle and avoid the formation of small foci of fibrosis in the myocardium - the growth of connective tissue, which often develops after inflammatory diseases.

Large studies that would unambiguously give an answer regarding the benefits of wine for the heart have not yet been conducted. However, there is reason to believe that small amounts of quality alcohol are still beneficial. An example of such a benefit is the Mediterranean diet, which is considered the most beneficial among all other types of healthy food. The inhabitants of the Mediterranean eat a lot of seafood, fresh fruits and vegetables; among the methods of cooking, stewing and baking are especially common. In addition, they hold in high esteem local wines, devoid of additives and dyes. As statistics show, in this geographical area the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases is much less than in the rest of the world. This suggests that this way of eating helps maintain heart health.

However, no one will argue that excessive alcohol consumption and its poor quality can cause serious harm.

Unfortunately, not everyone has the opportunity to buy only elite alcohol. High-quality foreign wines, which doctors call healthy, have a rather high cost; in addition, when buying them, it is easy to come across a fake. Most of the available alcohol in our country does not meet world standards: alcohol of insufficient degree of purification, flavoring additives, coloring agents - all this completely excludes the presence of any useful properties in it. Therefore, even small amounts of alcoholic beverages can have a negative effect on the body.

The most damaging effects of alcohol are seen in people who regularly abuse alcohol. These are people suffering from domestic drunkenness and alcoholism. Alcohol abuse destroys all systems and organs without exception, especially affecting the heart, liver, nervous system and psyche of the patient. The totality of changes in the heart muscle caused by alcohol is usually combined under the definition of "alcoholic heart disease" or "alcoholic cardiomyopathy".

Ethyl alcohol, in fact, is a poison, and it is not so much poison itself that is poisonous, but the products of its metabolism formed in the body. One such metabolite is acetic acid. Depending on the purity of alcohol, it has more or less side toxic substances. So, poorly purified moonshine contains poisonous fusel oils in excess.

The products of ethanol metabolism have a toxic effect on the cells of the whole body. In relation to the myocardium, this is expressed by the fact that cardiomyocytes lose the ability to accumulate energetically valuable substances and quickly consume them. The permeability of their membranes is disturbed, as a result of which they extract nutrition and oxygen from the blood worse and perceive nerve impulses suitable for them to a lesser extent. Deep metabolic disorders with a long history of alcoholism can lead to cardiomyopathy - irreversible changes in the heart muscle, in which muscle fibers are stretched and heart failure is formed.

The latter is manifested by shortness of breath, swelling and other symptoms that indicate that the heart ceases to fully pump blood. An unpleasant property of heart failure is that, once it has arisen, it tends to get worse. Without treatment, such patients live only a few years.

In addition to the general toxic effects that develop gradually in alcoholism, the cardiovascular system experiences discomfort during each intake of alcohol.

With regard to the heart, ethyl alcohol exhibits a two-phase effect. First, it increases the heart rate and the power of the heart muscle, constricts blood vessels, increasing blood pressure. Then the action becomes opposite: the tone of the arteries decreases and hypotension occurs. Such drops lead to increased stress on the heart and blood vessels; Gradually, an alcoholic develops hypertension. However, the most difficult period after drinking alcohol is the moment of a hangover, or, as doctors call it, withdrawal syndrome. In this phase, toxic metabolites accumulate in the body, which were formed during the destruction of the accepted dose of alcohol, but have not yet been eliminated from the body. Toxins cause symptoms of general poisoning, which also affects the heart. During this period, the pressure rises again and the pulse quickens; due to nausea and vomiting, which often occurs with a hangover, the body loses electrolytes and potassium deficiency occurs in the heart muscle, which can manifest itself as heart rhythm disturbances. Alcoholics most often end up in a hospital with a hangover: at this time they usually experience hypertensive crises, disruptions in the rhythm, heart attacks and strokes.

Drinking alcohol in large doses leads to disorders in other organs. So, the endocrine system, in particular the adrenal glands, suffers very much. Each time they drink alcohol, they release large amounts of the hormone adrenaline into the blood, which acts on various organs. Adrenaline is a stress hormone, and excessive stress is bad for the body. Alcoholics who abuse alcohol almost every day create a constant load on the cardiovascular system. Adrenaline affects more than just pulse and blood pressure. Its excessive release contributes to the fact that myocardial cells quickly spend all the nutrients. In addition, under the influence of this substance, the structure of cell membranes is disrupted: molecules of polyunsaturated fatty acids “fall out” of them, which retain their normal structure, which leads to damage to the heart at the cellular level.

Alcoholism leads to numerous changes in the cardiovascular system, in particular, accelerates the development of coronary heart disease. However, a more common form of myocardial damage is the already mentioned alcoholic cardiomyopathy.

In medicine, there is such a thing as "Sunday Heart Syndrome". This is the name given to episodes of atrial fibrillation that occur in people who have abused alcohol the day before.

Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is usually found in men. In order for this violation to appear, 5 years of regular drinking in large doses is enough. The female body is less resistant to alcohol, so in females, the disease can begin in 2-3 years.

The insidiousness of this disease is that it develops gradually, and by the time symptoms appear in the body, serious disorders have occurred that require lifelong medication. The heart becomes flabby, the muscle layer becomes thinner, foci of connective tissue or its growth appear in the myocardium. All this reduces the efficiency of the heart, leading to changes in the myocardium, similar to a heart attack.

Symptoms of alcoholic cardiomyopathy can be varied pains in the heart, episodes of rhythm disturbances, shortness of breath, poor exercise tolerance, swelling in the legs. The borders of the heart increase; his atria and ventricles are stretched and filled with blood. A dilation syndrome develops - an expansion of all chambers of the heart, accompanied by its inability to fully pump blood.

Treatment of alcoholic cardiomyopathy is carried out according to the same principles as the treatment of chronic heart failure. In this case, the most important moment of treatment is the refusal to drink alcohol. If a person already has changes in the cardiovascular system, then taking even small doses can significantly aggravate the patient's health.

Alcohol can cause great harm to the heart, and this is caused not only by the composition of the product itself, but also by the admixture of poisons in it, which are added to ready-made alcoholic beverages. For example, canned beer contains a small amount of cobalt, which is used as a preservative. With regular abuse, it can accumulate in the body in toxic doses.

Drunkenness

In order to isolate the risk to the heart from heavy drinking, French researchers compared Irish and French drinkers. The Irish are twenty times more likely to become drunkards than the French, they often take five or more drinks in one sitting, and tend to concentrate their drinking on Saturdays (perhaps in connection with football matches).

The French, by contrast, distribute their alcohol evenly throughout the week.

Over the ten-year period of this observational study, heavy drinkers were twice as likely to suffer a heart attack or die from heart disease compared to moderate drinkers. Scientists continue to investigate the mechanisms by which drinking can harm heart health. The most likely causes are changes in the conduction of the heart system associated with drinking and the inability to increase HDL cholesterol levels when drinking (it turns out that this level rises with more regular alcohol consumption).

It's okay to relax and have a drink or two on the weekends, but stop there. Don't finish your entire bottle of wine or your entire six-pack of beer: let your friends help you with this, and you may be able to improve your heart health.

Risk of excess alcohol consumption: those who drink more than four drinks a day

The largest study to date examined the link between alcohol and cancer. This was a one million women study published in 2009 that involved nearly 1.3 million middle-aged women in the UK and correlated their alcohol consumption with cancer development. In this study, alcohol—whether in the form of wine, beer, or spirits—increased women's risk of developing breast, liver, and rectal cancers. The combination of alcohol and tobacco was even more worrisome (it is believed that alcohol acts as an accelerating agent), it may have contributed to cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus and larynx in drinkers who also smoke. Interestingly, alcohol appears to reduce the risk of thyroid cancer, kidney cancer, and Ehodgkin's lymphoma. In general, however, alcohol increases the risk of cancer by 6%, and the more alcohol a person consumes, the greater the risk. The authors of the study estimated that 30,000 American women develop breast cancer every year as a result of drinking alcohol.

The ever-increasing amount of conflicting research can be confusing and stressful. Today alcohol is good for you, tomorrow it is bad. As the old joke goes, this is enough to drive a man to drunkenness. Our goal is to help you make the right and smart choice about your drinking. Ask yourself if you are thirsty and then consider your answer in the context of your personal history. Connect your doctor to this. Remember that we have a lot of information regarding the health effects of alcohol, but very few randomized controlled trials, our strongest source of medical evidence.

If you drink:

• drink in moderation;
• men - no more than two drinks per day;
• women - no more than one serving of alcohol per day; if there is a family or personal history of breast, liver or rectal cancer, in case of pregnancy, you should not drink at all;
• avoid overdose of alcohol and overeating;
• make your choice in favor of red wine.

If you are unwilling or unable to drink:

• maintain a healthy lifestyle on other fronts;
• drink dark grape juice from time to time, as it can also be good for your heart, like red wine.

Rate the material

Those people who do not drink alcohol at all are advised not to start doing this. Based on the observations of American experts, there is a rather high mortality rate among those who drank alcohol in moderation.

The fact was established that teetotalers suffer much less often than those people who drink alcohol moderately.

Many experts are critical of the opinion about the benefits of red wine for the cardiovascular system. There are no direct comparisons between studies. Thus, it is impossible to argue that alcohol has some useful, protective properties for the body. The effect of alcohol on the heart cannot be positive. Red wine contains a certain amount of antioxidants - this is one of the reasons why the drink is classified as healthy. The consumption of foods that contain antioxidants does not lead to a decrease in mortality. The most common is vitamin E. The likelihood of a heart attack with its use also remains. If the body is in dire need of antioxidants, they can easily be obtained from berries, fruits, and some vegetables. Red wine is still an alcoholic drink. The dangers of alcohol for the heart will be discussed further. It is important to know what can result in excessive drinking.

The effect of alcohol on the heart: experiments and their results

Research on this topic is often carried out in the United States. It is important to understand how alcohol affects the heart, can the effect really be positive? The purpose of one of the ongoing work was to identify the benefits of alcohol for the human heart. Experts conducted about 54 studies, the results of which showed that only 7 of them were carried out without errors. The result of the analysis, which was carried out unmistakably, is as follows: the death rate of teetotalers is approximately the same as the death rate of moderate drinkers, but in the latter during life, the activity of the heart is significantly impaired.

The effect of alcohol on the heart provokes a certain number of diseases that develop as a result of its use. First of all, it must be emphasized that the effect of alcohol on the heart is truly poisonous. It is able to destroy muscle cells in the shortest possible time. If there is no complete destruction, it is important to remember that they are partially damaged anyway. Alcoholic products can significantly increase blood pressure. The heart of an alcoholic is difficult to treat in the future.

After a person has taken a certain dose of alcohol, his heart cannot fully work for 7 hours. The heart of an alcoholic is weak, a person may have a rapid pulse, it can be 95-100 beats per minute. Metabolism and the nervous system are also disturbed, the heart and blood vessels are under stress, muscle nutrition is weak. It is also important to know that alcohol disrupts blood circulation in the capillaries, the vessels shrink, thicken, burst. A person may experience oxygen starvation. The effect of alcohol on the heart is destructive.

After drinking alcohol, a large amount of fat accumulates in the heart muscle, moreover, it loses its former appearance and becomes flabby. The negative effect of alcohol on the heart is undeniable: such drinks significantly disrupt its work. As a result of prolonged use of alcohol, the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis and hypertension is high. If a person permanently stops drinking these drinks, he has every chance of being cured and gaining health. In order to encourage non-drinking among the population, it is important to conduct various alcohol campaigns that are aimed at limiting the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Heart and alcohol: what happens as a result of the interaction?

In very frequent cases, alcohol leads to arrhythmia and cardiomyopathy. Drinks provoke myocardial infarction, sudden death much faster. Cardiac arrhythmia occurs as a result of alcohol poisoning or due to excessive use. Numerous worldwide studies are evidence that the more often a person consumes alcohol, the higher the likelihood of death from a heart attack. It is important to remember that alcoholic beverages in any dose affect the heart. The dose of a reasonable and excessive level of use is not indicated anywhere.

Surely you have often heard the term "alcoholic heart". It can be found in reference books of medical literature. The second name for an alcoholic heart is cardiomyopathy. The disease can occur even if a person has recently started drinking alcohol. This problem can occur for several reasons. The first of these is the negative effect of alcoholic decay products on the body, this leads to the formation of a disorder in the heart muscle. There are not enough proteins. In addition to the heart, alcohol has an effect on the liver. Addiction leads to a violation of protein synthesis. This is what happens as a result of liver damage. A sufficient amount of B vitamins is not supplied, and in fact they are needed for the normal functioning of the heart.

Typical symptoms of heart failure

In those people who regularly drink alcohol, there is a violation of cardiac activity, in particular, the next day after drinking alcohol. If a person drank a drink in the evening, the next morning he may experience interruptions in the work of the heart. Typical symptoms: dizziness, shortness of breath, frequent shortness of breath. As a rule, in people who drink alcohol, there is a thickening of the walls and expansion of the cavities of the heart, as a result, heart rhythm disturbances appear. It is important to note that shortness of breath happens quite often. Treatment is a major challenge because the heart muscles have a special biochemical memory that can cause recurring symptoms.

In order to cure the above problems, a complete rejection of alcohol is necessary. Alcoholic products cause significant harm to the heart, primarily the content of ethyl alcohol. Toxic substances also have a negative, destructive effect on the organs as a whole. Impurities, various additives, which cause severe damage to the cardiovascular system, have a negative effect.

The harm of alcohol for the heart also lies in the following: alcohol leads to the fact that the vascular tone changes, the ionic balance is disturbed, and as a result, an arrhythmia occurs. Myocardial cell dystrophy is one of the most common problems associated with alcohol consumption. Connective tissue begins to grow around the vessels. The vessel is covered with the so-called additional insulation, which prevents the ingress of oxygen and nutrients. Myocardial cells are not able to receive oxygen in sufficient quantities, as a result of which they begin to die.

If a person drinks alcohol, while he already has heart problems, it is important to remember that in this case, ischemia intensifies, there is a considerable probability of its transition to a heart attack. The defeat of the cardiovascular system occurs in every second who takes alcohol.

Thanks for the feedback

Comments

Megan92 () 2 weeks ago

Has anyone managed to save her husband from alcoholism? Mine drinks without drying up, I don’t know what to do ((I thought of getting a divorce, but I don’t want to leave the child without a father, and I feel sorry for my husband, he’s a great person when he doesn’t drink

Daria () 2 weeks ago

I have already tried so many things and only after reading this article, I managed to wean my husband from alcohol, now he doesn’t drink at all, even on holidays.

Megan92 () 13 days ago

Daria () 12 days ago

Megan92, so I wrote in my first comment) I will duplicate it just in case - link to article.

Sonya 10 days ago

Isn't this a divorce? Why sell online?

Yulek26 (Tver) 10 days ago

Sonya, what country do you live in? They sell on the Internet, because shops and pharmacies set their markup brutal. In addition, payment is only after receipt, that is, they first looked, checked and only then paid. And now everything is sold on the Internet - from clothes to TVs and furniture.

Editorial response 10 days ago

Sonya, hello. This drug for the treatment of alcohol dependence is indeed not sold through the pharmacy chain and retail stores in order to avoid overpricing. Currently, you can only order official website. Be healthy!

Sonya 10 days ago

Sorry, I didn't notice at first the information about the cash on delivery. Then everything is in order for sure, if the payment is upon receipt.

Margo (Ulyanovsk) 8 days ago

Has anyone tried folk methods to get rid of alcoholism? My father drinks, I can not influence him in any way ((

Andrey () A week ago

I haven’t tried any folk remedies, my father-in-law both drank and drinks

Ekaterina a week ago

I tried to give my husband a decoction of bay leaves to drink (she said that it was good for the heart), so after an hour he left with the men to drink. I no longer believe in these folk methods ...

The harm of alcohol on the heart has long been recognized by doctors around the world. Medical statistics claim that it is the love of alcohol that causes 35% of sudden deaths.

The effect of alcohol

After taking alcohol, alcohol continues to remain in the blood for about 5-12 hours and circulates throughout the body, poisoning all the most important systems and organs. How exactly does it affect the heart?

Ethyl alcohol is a poison that destroys myocardial cells and increases blood pressure. Under its influence, the pulse quickens to 100 or even more beats per minute. Alcoholic toxins cause vasospasm, which worsens the nutrition of the heart muscle and its supply of oxygen.

With prolonged alcohol intake, a significant amount of fat accumulates in the myocardium, as a result of which the heart muscle gradually degenerates and is unable to perform its function. The result is the development of severe diseases.

What heart disease does alcohol cause?

As a rule, the harm of alcohol on the heart begins to appear after a few months of close “friendship” with alcohol. The person begins to experience difficulty breathing, often complains of palpitations and chest pains. These are the first signs of heart disease.

Atherosclerosis

coronary insufficiency

Alcohol provokes a sharp rise in the level of adrenaline and norepinephrine in the blood. It is known that these hormones are produced during severe nervous tension, stress or mental disorders. With an increase in their content in the blood, the heart muscle needs more oxygen and nutrients. If the heart is healthy, it can handle this kind of stress. However, in alcoholics, taking even a small portion of alcohol can lead to coronary insufficiency, in which the vessels are unable to supply the myocardium with oxygen and essential substances.

ischemic heart disease

The diseases described above often lead to the development of a very serious disease - ischemic heart disease (abbreviated as IHD), in which the coronary arteries are affected and the blood supply to the myocardium is disturbed.
IHD occurs in various forms, which are characterized by different clinical manifestations. The main ones are:

• violation of the heart rhythm;
• heart failure;
• angina;
• cardiosclerosis;
• sudden coronary death.

In a heart attack, a portion of the myocardium that is not adequately supplied with blood undergoes necrosis.

cardiomyopathy

Exposure to alcoholic poisons provokes an increase in the size and weight of the heart (cardiomegaly). A person constantly feels tired, he has an arrhythmia. Swelling of the legs, shortness of breath and cough develop.
Although the answer to the question of whether alcohol affects the heart has long been known, many alcoholics hope that their similar fate will somehow be avoided. However, experts warn that exposure to ethyl alcohol in the vast majority of cases leads to dangerous irreversible changes in this vital organ, and every drop of alcohol may be the last.