[Cardiac lesions in alcoholic patients]

On the base of literature data and their own experience, the authors discuss the problems of the early diagnosis of alcoholic cardiopathy. With the study on the cardiac disorders in 1039 alcoholic patients, the authors established a nutritive type of affection (according to D. Tolbott classification, 1975) in 6 per cent of the patients, being most frequent in the patients with steady and continuous type of drinking, toxic type of lesions in 84,62 per cent and conductive type - in 9,38 per cent. With the studies on the contractility of myocardium, it was established that the changes in contractility preceded the electrocardiographic and X-ray changes. The increased time for normalization of the polycardiographic indices, after loading, is considered, by the authors, an early indication for the changes in contractility. The discontinuation of alcohol drinking has been accompanied by a shortening of the time for normalization of A-wave from apexcardiogram, the ratio IVET/EICT and cardiac index. The treatment of alcoholic cardiopathy is recommended to be always complex, where along with pharmacotherapy, the individual and group psychotherapy play their role.