Picture Modified from National Geographic, 181:14, 1992
	Cardiomyopathy, a degenerative disease of the heart in the absence of coronary artery disease, is a well-established complication of chronic alcohol abuse.  Most cases are probably asymptomatic, but in some patients this leads to arrhythmias, cardiomegaly and congestive heart failure, characterized by dyspnea and peripheral edema.  Treating alcoholic cardiomyopathy involves the use of supportive measures and principally must include abstinence from alcohol.  Alcoholic cardiomyopathy could be due to the accumulation of fatty acids ethyl esters (FAEE) -- neutral molecules that are present in the heart and other organs that lack oxidative ethanol metabolism – in the mitochondria.  However, heart myocardial respiratory chain complex are functionally not affected in heavy drinkers without cardiomyopathy.  Alcohol also alters protein metabolism.
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