Chronic alcoholism and myocardial disease

Myocardial function was determined by echocardiographic and systolic time interval measurements in 24 abstinent chronic alcoholics and matched non-alcoholic controls. In the patients, the measurements were taken sequentially 24-48 h after their last drink, 5-7 days later and 14-21 days after the second testing. All measurements were done without the investigators' knowledge of whose tracing he was evaluating. The results showed no significant deviation from normal values in any of the patients at any time and are in keeping with the assumption that chronic, excessive alcohol use by itself has no toxic effect on a healthy myocardium; excessive alcohol use probably plays a role by further impairing myocardial function in an already diseased heart.