Alcoholic cardiomyopathy

Alcoholic cardiomyopathy was also known as alcoholic heart muscle disease. It occurs as a result of chronic use of alcohol in large amounts. Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is reversible with abstinence from alcohol, which is the mainstay of treatment. Another important form of heart disease which can occur in alcoholics is wet beriberi which is a high out put cardiac failure situation due thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency. The mechanism of heart muscle damage in alcoholic cardiomyopathy is myocyte death and fibrosis possibly because alcohol directly inhibits mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid oxidation.