Acute effects of low doses of ethanol on left and right ventricular function in young healthy subjects.

Background: Moderate-to-high blood concentrations of ethanol acutely impair conventional echocardiographic measures of left ventricular (LV) performance, but the effects of low concentrations are unclear. This study explored the acute effects of low blood concentrations of ethanol on sensitive and load-independent indices of LV and right ventricular (RV) function.

Methods: This is a crossover experimental study conducted in 64 young healthy volunteers.

Acute effects of low doses of red wine on cardiac conduction and repolarization in young healthy subjects.

Background: Moderate to high blood concentrations of ethanol have been shown to yield acute changes in cardiac electrophysiological properties, but the effect of low concentrations have never been assessed. The role of concomitant changes in clinical variables or cardiac dimensions is also still unknown. This study aimed at exploring the acute effects of low doses of ethanol, administered as Italian red wine, on conduction, depolarization, and repolarization electrocardiographic (ECG) intervals in a population of healthy subjects.