Effects of Two Cocktails on Left Ventricular Diastolic Function in Normal Men

The effects of alcohol on diastolic function in normal males are unknown. Therefore, 12 male physicians had a Doppler echocardiogram performed in order to assess left ventricular diastolic performance. They then drank 4 ounces of whiskey, and forty-five minutes later a repeat Doppler echocardiogram was obtained. All the Doppler indexes of diastolic performance differed significantly after the ingestion of alcohol. The mean control D-F interval was 203 +/- 26 ms and after alcohol it was 237 +/- 51 (p less than 0.01). The mean control EF slope was 4.4 +/- 0.35 m/s2 and after alcohol it was 3.2 +/- 0.73 (p less than 0.01). The control E-F interval was 114 +/- 30 ms and it increased after alcohol to 150 +/- 37 (p less than 0.001). The mean control E wave was 0.54 +/- 0.10 m/s and after alcohol it was 0.43 +/- 0.07 (p less than 0.01). The mean control A wave was 0.30 +/- 0.04 m/s and after alcohol it was 0.35 +/- 0.04 (p less than 0.01). The mean control E/A ratio was 1.80 +/- 0.20 and it fell to 1.25 +/- 0.23 after alcohol ingestion (p less than 0.001). Thus, the results suggest that 4 ounces of whiskey can produce, in normal males, a significant impairment in diastolic function.