How Alcohol Affects ATTR-CM
ATTR-CM makes the walls of your heart thick and stiff, and reduces its ability to pump enough blood through your body.
Alcohol directly damages heart muscle cells, which can make ongoing amyloidosis worse, says Dr. Carmona Rubio. Amyloidosis is a general term for abnormal protein buildup in your organs; in the case of ATTR-CM, it involves TTR, which affects your heart. Worsening protein buildup can exacerbate some ATTR-CM symptoms, such as shortness of breath and swelling in your legs.
“For patients with ATTR-CM, drinking alcohol is discouraged,” says Paciulli. “Even in small amounts, it can place extra stress on an already compromised heart.”
It Affects Your Blood Pressure
It Boosts Your Risk of Arrhythmia
It Causes Fluid Retention
Drinking alcohol tells your body to hold on to water. When you have ATTR-CM, you have a more fragile fluid balance, and extra water can cause swelling in your legs and fluid in your lungs. More fluid in your lungs can make it hard to breathe, and leg swelling can lower your mobility.
It Dehydrates You
While drinking alcohol with ATTR-CM can lead to too much fluid in your body, you can also easily get dehydrated with this condition, says Paciulli. Because it’s hard for your body to maintain a balanced fluid level with ATTR-CM, medications may remove too much fluid too fast. Alcohol also dehydrates you, which adds to this risk.
“When you’re dehydrated, your blood pressure can drop,” says Dr. Kos. “For a heart that is already weak, trying to pump blood when there isn’t enough fluid and the blood pressure is too low is a huge strain.”
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