Chronic binge drinking can lead to which heart condition?

Chronic binge drinking can lead to which heart condition?

• A. Aneurysm
• B. Tachycardia
• C. Cardiomyopathy
• D. Myocarditis

Answer: (C)

Chronic heavy drinking can directly injure the heart muscle, leading to alcoholic cardiomyopathy, a form of dilated cardiomyopathy. Repeated alcohol exposure harms cardiomyocytes and disrupts their energy use, causing cell damage and stretching of the ventricles. The result is weakened contraction (systolic dysfunction) and enlargement of the heart chambers, which manifests as heart failure. This is distinct from an aneurysm (a localized arterial dilation), tachycardia (an abnormal heart rate), or myocarditis (inflammation often due to infection). Abstinence can help some patients improve function, but the structural change from chronic alcohol exposure underlies this cardiomyopathy.

Chronic heavy drinking can directly injure the heart muscle, leading to alcoholic cardiomyopathy, a form of dilated cardiomyopathy. Repeated alcohol exposure harms cardiomyocytes and disrupts their energy use, causing cell damage and stretching of the ventricles. The result is weakened contraction (systolic dysfunction) and enlargement of the heart chambers, which manifests as heart failure. This is distinct from an aneurysm (a localized arterial dilation), tachycardia (an abnormal heart rate), or myocarditis (inflammation often due to infection). Abstinence can help some patients improve function, but the structural change from chronic alcohol exposure underlies this cardiomyopathy.