[Alcoholic heart disease (alcoholic cardiomyopathy)]

With no intention of belittling the importance of chronic ischemic heart disease (CIHD) in modern cardiology, the article focuses the attention on primary alcoholic heart disease--alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACMP)--which arouses a far from causal interest due to the prevalence of alcoholism. It is suggested to distinguish three main clinical forms of ACMP: valence of alcoholism. It is suggested to distinguish three main clinical forms of ACMP: (1) "classical", manifested by dilatation of the heart and signs of its failure; (2) "quasi-ischemic" manifested by cardialgia and changes in the ECG, resembling those in CIHD; (3) "arrythmic", characterized by variants of disorders of myocardial excitability and conduction. The ACMP diagnostic criteria, methods for its identification and differential diagnosis from CIHD, modern conceptions of ACMP pathogenesis, and the main principles of treatment are discussed.