What is alcoholic cardiomyopathy?

What is alcoholic cardiomyopathy?

Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is a condition where consuming too much alcohol damages your heart. This damage happens because parts of your heart stretch and enlarge. That weakens your heart muscle, keeping it from pumping as well as it should. Over time, this means your heart can't pump blood as effectively, which reduces your body's available oxygen supply.

Who does it affect?

Alcoholic cardiomyopathy can affect anyone who consumes too much alcohol, even those who aren’t alcoholics. However, it’s more likely to happen in people with alcohol use disorders or who have genetic mutations that cause them to process alcohol more slowly.

How common is this condition?

Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is a relatively uncommon condition, occurring in about 1% to 2% of people who consume more than the recommended amounts of alcohol.

Heavy drinking defined

The available research shows that if you limit your alcohol intake to a certain amount, you’re less likely to develop alcohol-related health problems, including alcoholic cardiomyopathy. For women, that amount is seven drinks per week. For men, it’s 14 drinks per week.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines heavy alcohol use — also known as heavy drinking — as more than eight drinks per week for women and more than 15 drinks per week for men. One drink is equal to 14 grams of pure alcohol, which can take many different forms because some forms have a higher concentration of alcohol than others.

Each of the following examples of those forms is equal to one drink.

BeerMalt LiquorWineLiquor (Bourbon, Gin, Rum, Tequila, Vodka, Whiskey)5% alcohol by volume (ABV)7% ABV12% ABV40% ABV12 fluid ounces8 to 9 fluid ounces5 fluid ounces1.5 fluid ounces