Evaluation of Subclinical Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction in Chronic Asymptomatic Alcoholics by Speckle Tracking Echocardiography.

Murathan Kucuk,Aytul Belgi Yıldırım,Can Ramazan Oncel,Fatih Canan,Mehmet Murat Kuloglu

doi:10.1155/2017/6582568

Abstract

By using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography, we aimed to investigate the structural and functional changes on myocardium in chronic asymptomatic alcoholics without any cardiovascular disease. Forty-one consecutive asymptomatic male alcoholics who were admitted to the outpatient alcoholism unit and 30 age matched healthy male volunteers selected as the control group were enrolled in the study. The study group were investigated by using standard two-dimensional echocardiography and speckle tracking echocardiography. The left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain and LV global circumferential strain were significantly lower in alcoholics when compared with control subjects. There was no difference in global radial strain between the two groups. To demonstrate the effect of total life time dose of ethanol (TLDE) on echocardiographic abnormalities, we assessed the correlation analysis. There was a nonsignificant weak correlation between global LV circumferential strain and TLDE (r = 0.27, p = 0.083). Speckle tracking echocardiography derived left ventricular systolic function was impaired in chronic alcoholic patients when compared with healthy controls.

Highlights

Chronic excessive alcohol consumption is related with cardiomyopathy where alcoholic cardiomyopathy has been seen in about 10% of alcoholics and prevalence ranges from 23% to 40% [1]
Reduced left ventricular ejection fraction can be documented by conventional echocardiography, it is important to find a method for the detection of subclinical LV systolic dysfunction in these patients
In our study we demonstrated that left ventricular global longitudinal strain and left ventricular global circumferential strain were deteriorated in chronic alcoholic patients

Summary

Introduction

Transthoracic echocardiography can detect mild left ventricular hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction, and left ventricular dilatation in asymptomatic alcoholics [2]. Reduced left ventricular ejection fraction can be documented by conventional echocardiography, it is important to find a method for the detection of subclinical LV systolic dysfunction in these patients. Predicting early cardiac toxicity of chronic alcohol consumption in patients at high risk for developing alcoholic cardiomyopathy will be helpful, since an early withdrawal of alcohol may improve left ventricular systolic function and prognosis in this group. Our study aims to analyze the structural and functional changes on myocardium using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography in chronic asymptomatic alcoholics without any cardiovascular disease and any disease which could impair myocardial functions

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