Changes in Left Ventricular Function in Alcoholic Beverage Drinkers

Background: Chronic excessive alcohol consumption could lead to the progressive cardiac dysfunction known as Alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM). An evaluation form for the assessment of alcohol problems (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test: AUDIT) is a simple tool to screen alcohol problems for primary care. However, the link between the use of AUDIT and the diagnosis of heart disease in Thailand is limited. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the left ventricular function of alcoholic beverage drinkers by echocardiography according to the severity of alcoholic consumption. Methods: Sixty regular alcoholic beverage drinkers, aged over 20 and living in Tambol Thapho, Muang, Phitsanulok Province, was enrolled in this study from January to May 2016. Data was collected from interviews regarding general information. The AUDIT evaluation form was used to assess alcohol problems, physical examinations, and echocardiography were performed. Echocardiographic measurement data were compared between the alcohol beverage drinkers group and a control group. Finding: The Left Ventricular Internal Diameter (LVID) of alcoholic beverage drinkers with AUDIT score levels of 2, 3 and 4 were significantly higher than the control group (at p<0.05, p<0.05, p<0.05, respectively).The Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) (Teicholz), of alcoholic beverage drinkers with an AUDIT score of level 4 was significantly lower than the control group (p<0.05). Moreover, the percentage of alcoholic beverage drinkers with abnormal left ventricular diastolic dysfunction with AUDIT score levels of 1, 2, 3 and 4 were 33.33%, 46.67%, 46.67% and 46.67%, respectively. Application: The present study demonstrated alcoholic beverage drinkers had systolic and diastolic dysfunctions. Therefore, the AUDIT evaluation form may be beneficial to screen for the risk of heart failure in alcoholic beverage drinkers in primary health care.