Alcohol and the cardiovascular system

Article Abstract:

The cardiac abnormalities associated with chronic alcohol abuse are reviewed. Several kinds of functional impairment of the left ventricle (the chamber of the heart that pumps blood to the body) have been described in alcoholics. In many cases, however, patients do not show symptoms of heart damage. Improvement of some aspects of cardiac impairment can be observed in people who reduce their alcohol intake. Heart failure (inability of the heart to pump blood efficiently), arrhythmias (disturbances in the rhythm of the heart), coronary artery disease (disease of the arteries that supply blood to the heart), strokes (hemorrhage or blood clots involving the brain blood vessels), and hypertension (high blood pressure) among alcoholics or heavy drinkers are reviewed. Determining that a patient abuses alcohol can be difficult, and evidence that he or she has been involved in social disturbances or accidents suggest the possibility. Enzyme tests that detect changes associated with alcohol-induced cardiac damage have not been developed, but a test that detects alcohol-induced liver damage can be helpful. Biopsy of skeletal muscle reveals atrophy (wasting) and other changes in alcoholics, and this can also be a useful clinical tool. Abstinence from alcohol is the cornerstone of long-term management of the cardiovascular consequences of alcoholism. The progress of cardiac damage is halted, or the condition may even improve, in many patients if they abstain from drinking. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Cardiovascular diseases, Alcoholism, Alcoholic myopathy

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Comparing tobacco cigarette dependence with other drug dependencies: greater or equal 'difficulty quitting' and 'urges to use,' but less 'pleasure' from cigarettes

Article Abstract:

Although scientific studies make the case that nicotine is a highly addictive drug, there is general reluctance to accept the similarity between tobacco cigarette smoking and other "hard drugs". This is perhaps in part because cigarettes are considered tame relative to other drugs. Most alcohol and drug users who are undergoing treatment are also users of cigarettes (80-95 percent). About a thousand patients involved in alcohol or drug dependency programs were questioned regarding their feelings about the use of tobacco. Fifty-seven percent said they would have a harder time giving up cigarettes than their so-called problem substance. Alcohol-dependent patients were four times more likely than drug-dependent patients to equate their urges for cigarettes to their habit. In general, cigarettes were also considered less pleasurable than the other addictive drugs. This suggests that although cigarettes provide less pleasure, there are strong similarities between use of cigarettes and other addictive psychoactive substances. A simple method for detection of cigarette dependence is elaborated. Although there has been a general reduction in the number of smokers in the general population, it seems not to have become reduced among those who are addicted to other substances. This association may become stronger as the use of tobacco becomes rarer in the general population.

Case studies, Surveys, Drug abuse, Tobacco habit, Drug withdrawal symptoms, Substance withdrawal syndrome

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Alcohol use and aquatic activities - Massachusetts

Article Abstract:

Results are presented from a survey conducted in 1988 by the Boston University School of Public Health on alcohol use on or near the water. The study was conducted because as many as one half of all deaths from drowning are associated with alcohol consumption. The survey relied on random-digit-dialing and involved 294 adults. Two hundred twenty-one of the respondents spent an average of 13 days participating in aquatic activities during August 1988. Swimming was most often reported, then boating and fishing from the shore. Slightly more than half had used the ocean. Thirty-six percent of the men and 11 percent of the women said they had consumed alcohol on the last occasion of aquatic activity. On average, men drank more than women, 3.5 drinks versus 2.4 drinks, respectively. People 50 years old or older were more likely to have been drinking. Males drown in boating accidents 12 times as often as females, and five times as often compared with other types of drownings. This could be partly due to their greater tendency to drink alcohol near or on the water. The high number of people who report alcohol use in association with aquatic activities suggests that further education is needed regarding the potential risks and the association between alcohol and drowning. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Risk factors, Statistics, Drowning

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