The effect of the ingestion of ethanol on obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Ethanol causes vasodilation, which might have an adverse effect, due to increased obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract, in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. We assessed the hemodynamic effects of the ingestion of ethanol, in an amount commonly consumed socially, in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Methods: We performed echocardiography in 36 patients before and several times after the ingestion of either 50 ml of 40 percent ethanol or an isocaloric placebo with the aroma of rum.