HEART FAILURE AND ALCOHOL

Course overview

Heart failure is a progressive clinical syndrome in which the heart fails to pump a sufficient supply of blood to the body due to structural heart damage. Excessive alcohol consumption has been associated with different cardiovascular disorders, such as arrhythmias, hypertension, sudden cardiac death, stroke, and a form of non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (alcoholic cardiomyopathy [ACM]). This continuing education module is designed to give the reader/learner an increased understanding of heart failure and alcohol, including its clinical presentation, symptoms, and treatment, and to aid in caring for the patient with this diagnosis. Readers may explore any or all of the topics. One contact hour of continuing education credit is available for those who successfully complete the post-test and evaluation form.