[Alcoholic injuries to the myocardium]

Investigations of recent years have demonstrated an important role of cardiovascular pathology in the clinical picture of alcoholism. Chronic alcoholic poisoning leads to the development of alcoholic myocardial dystrophy (AMCD) which frequently has no definite clinical symptoms. Examination of morphological changes in the myocardium in AMCD reveals some signs which are not sufficiently specific but are of diagnostic interest in combination with clinical data. Comparison or morphofunctional and biochemical clinical and experimental data suggested multiple-factor nature of AMCD. The leading role in it belongs to hypoxia-like effects of ethanol proper and its metabolites on the myocardium as well as to their mediated effect through the disorders of the sympathetic regulation of the heart, electrolite and lipid metabolism, microcirculation.