ALCOHOL-CONSUMPTION AND HEART-FAILURE IN HYPERTENSIVES

Sixty hypertensives (30 with and 30 without heart failure, matched for age and sex) were studied and their alcohol consumption and its possi ble role in heart failure were assessed. The majority in each group be longed to the low socioeconomic class. On presentation, the mean systo lic blood pressures were 176.7 +/- 29.7 and 198.8 +/- 29.8 mmHg and di astolic blood pressures 118 +/- 15 and 118.5 +/- 13.6 mmHg, respective ly. In those known to be hypertensive before presentation to our unit, hypertension was first detected 4.88 +/- 3.8 and 4.40 +/- 3.3 years e arlier in the heart failure and non-heart failure groups, respectively . Drug compliance was similarly poor in the two groups. Of all 12 drin kers in heart failure, 75% drank heavily, while only 18.2% (two of 11) of the non-heart failure drinkers drank heavily. Nine (30%) and two ( 6.7%) of the heart failure and the non-heart failure groups, respectiv ely, took greater than or equal to 80 g of alcohol daily for at least 3 years (P < 0.02). Significantly more of the heart failure group were thiamine deficient, although the deficiency could not be directly att ributed to alcohol. The odds ratio for heavy and moderate alcohol cons umption was 5.9 and 0.9, respectively. Thus it is suggested that heavy alcohol consumption appears to be a major contributory factor to hear t failure in these patients.