LATE POTENTIALS IN CHRONIC-ALCOHOLICS

OBJECTIVE: Cardiac arrest is the most frequent cause of death in chron ic alcoholics. Detection of late potentials in this population could b e helpful in screening from early signs of myocardial disorders and id entifying patients at risk of severe ventricular dysrythmia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective study of late potentials was conducted in 5 3 subject; (mean age 49 +/- 10years) with a history of long-standing a lcohol abuse (mean 13.6+/-8.5 years, mean daily alcohol intake 86 +/- 30 g). After a period of abstinence, the following explorations were p erformed: liver tests, liver biopsy, electrocardiogram, echocardiograp hy, Holter recording. RESULTS: Among the 53 patients, 37% were positiv e for 2 of the 3 criteria for late potentials. There was a strong corr elation between the duration of alcohol abuse and presence of late pot entials (p = 0.006, r = 0.37). The percentage of hepatic steatosis was higher in alcoholic subjects with late potentials (34% versus 23%; p = 0.05) and was correlated with the number of positive criteria for la te potentials (p = 0.05, r = 0.328). Finally, the presence of late pot entials was also correlated with the following laboratory results. ser um gamma glutamyltranspeptidase (p = 0.031), serum aspartate amino tra nsferase (p = 0.033), serum alkaline phosphatases (p = 0.0025). CONCLU SION: tate potentials can be detected easily although their prognostic value remains to be determined. They could be an early marker of infr aclinical myocardial lesions.