Key result
Chronic alcoholism is linked to unexplained histological heart changes in ~67% of autopsy cases.
Why the study?
Does chronic alcoholism cause specific histological heart pathology compared to non-alcoholics?
Population
Autopsy material consisting of 35 alcoholics and 13 non-alcoholic traffic casualties
Comparison
Chronic ethanol intoxication (alcoholism) vs Non-alcoholic traffic casualties
Design
Cross-sectional, Investigation of the histological sections was performed…
Authors
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Alcoholic hearts show distinct histology independent of atherosclerosis; leaves open causal role and clinical relevance in living patients.
Observational (n=48)
Blinded
Does chronic alcoholism cause specific histological heart pathology compared to non-alcoholics?
Chronic alcoholism is associated with specific histological heart changes including hypertrophy, fibrosis, and inflammation, independent of coronary atherosclerosis, suggesting alcoholic cardiomyopathy is a distinct and common entity.
Hognestad et al. (1973) conducted an observational in Chronic alcoholism (n=48). Chronic alcoholism vs. Non-alcoholic traffic casualties was evaluated on Histological heart changes unexplained by other mechanisms. Chronic alcoholism was associated with unexplained histological heart changes in 66.7% of alcoholic autopsy cases, characterized by hypertrophy, fibrosis, and chronic inflammatory cells.
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