Alcohol consumption and biological markers for alcoholism in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy: a case-controlled study.

The aim of this study was to compare alcohol consumption and biological markers for alcoholism in a population of 23 men (57 +/- 8 years) admitted to hospital with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), and a control group of 46 men (54 +/- 8 years) with coronary artery disease, matched for age. The DCM group had a higher daily alcohol consumption (82 g/day vs. 30 g/day, P < 0.0002). This difference was greater for the consumption of wine (63 g/day in the DCM group vs. 24 g/day in the control group, P < 0.002). Duration of regular daily alcohol consumption was longer in DCM patients (34 years vs. 22 years, P < 0.01) as well as duration of heavy alcohol consumption (> 60 g/day) (25 years vs. 10 years, P < 0.001). Among the biological markers, only the serum levels of immunoglobulin A were significantly increased in the DCM group (3.7 g/l vs. 2.7 g/l, P < 0.03). In this French population, alcohol is strongly linked to DCM. Biological markers appear to be poor predictors of alcohol intoxication in this so-called 'idiopathic' myocardial disease.