Relationship between alcohol consumption and cardiac structure and function in the elderly: the atherosclerosis tisk in communities study

Goncalves, A., Jhund, P.S. , Claggett, B., Shah, A.M., Konety, S., Butler, K., Kitzman, D.W., Rosamond, W., Fuchs, F.D. and Solomon, S.D. (2015) Relationship between alcohol consumption and cardiac structure and function in the elderly: the atherosclerosis tisk in communities study. Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging, 8(6), e002846. (doi: 10.1161/circimaging.114.002846) (PMID:26015266) (PMCID:PMC4458702)

Abstract

Background—Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with cardiomyopathy, but the influence of moderate alcohol use on cardiac structure and function is largely unknown. Methods and Results—We studied 4466 participants from visit 5 of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study (76±5 years and 60% women) who underwent transthoracic echocardiography, excluding former drinkers and those with significant valvular disease. Participants were classified into 4 categories based on self-reported alcohol intake: nondrinkers, drinkers of ≤7, ≥7 to 14, and ≥14 drinks per week. We related alcohol intake to measures of cardiac structure and function, stratified by sex, and fully adjusted for covariates. In both genders, increasing alcohol intake was associated with larger left ventricular diastolic and systolic diameters and larger left atrial diameter (P<0.05). In men, increasing alcohol intake was associated with greater left ventricular mass (8.2±3.8 g per consumption category; P=0.029) and higher E/E′ ratio (0.82±0.33 per consumption category; P=0.014). In women, increasing alcohol intake was associated with lower left ventricular ejection fraction (−1.9±0.6% per consumption category; P=0.002) and a tendency for worse left ventricular global longitudinal strain (0.45±0.25% per consumption category; P=0.07). Conclusions—In an elderly community-based population, increasing alcohol intake is associated with subtle alterations in cardiac structure and function, with women appearing more susceptible than men to the cardiotoxic effects of alcohol.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Jhund, Professor Pardeep
• Authors: Goncalves, A., Jhund, P.S., Claggett, B., Shah, A.M., Konety, S., Butler, K., Kitzman, D.W., Rosamond, W., Fuchs, F.D., and Solomon, S.D.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health
• Journal Name: Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging
• Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
• ISSN: 1941-9651
• ISSN (Online): 1942-0080
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.
• First Published: First published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging 8(6): e002846
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy