Left Ventricular Strain and Rotation by 2-D Speckle Tracking Echocardiography Identify Early Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy

Abstract This study assessed whether 2-D speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) derived from left ventricular (LV) strain and rotation is capable of detecting LV dysfunction associated with alcoholic cardiomyopathy. Ninety-two male chronic alcoholic patients were grouped by alcohol intake amount and duration: mild (n = 30; >90 mg ethanol daily, 3–5 d per wk for 5–8 y); moderate (n = 30; >90–150 mg ethanol daily, 3–5 d per wk for 9–20 y); and severe (n = 32; >150 mg ethanol daily, 6–7 d per wk for >10 y). Thirty non-drinkers were recruited as healthy controls. Rotation and twist values were lower in the severe group compared with the other groups ( p