Prevalence of concentric left ventricular hypertrophy in non-cardiac alcoholics. An echocardiographic study.

Left ventricular dimension and function were studied by echocardio-graphy in 28 "non-cardiac" patients with chronic alcoholism. Concentric left ventricular hypertrophy was the prevalent abnormality. Gross hypertrophy with wall thickness exceeding 14mm was seen in 8 patients, and was associated with higher incidence of mild exertional dyspnea and paroxysmal tachyarrhythmia during drinking bouts than in 16 patients with almost normal left ventricle. Left ventricular ejection fraction was decreased in 2 and diastolic descent rate of the anterior mitral valve was decreased in 1 of the hypertrophied left ventricle. The concentric hypertrophy may represent a preclinical stage of alcoholic cardiomyopathy. In addition to the 24 patients with normal sized left ventricular cavity, there were 4 patients with dilated left ventricle and increased wall mass. Left ventricular ejection fraction and mitral valve motion were normal in all the 4, and cardiac output was suggested to be increased. The relations of this type of abnormality to the concentric hypertrophy and to clinical alcoholic cardiomyopathy were obscure.