Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy: a pathophysiological review of circulatory dysfunction in liver disease.

J H Henriksen, S Møller

Journal: Heart (British Cardiac Society) 2002;87(1):9-15

PMID: 11751653

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Abstract

The systemic circulation in patients with cirrhosis is hyperdynamic with an increased cardiac output and heart rate and a reduced systemic vascular resistance as the most pronounced alterations. The concomitant cardiac dysfunction has recently been termed "cirrhotic cardiomyopathy", which is an entity different from that seen in alcoholic heart muscle disease. Clinically, these patients present with sodium fluid retention and strain often unmasks the presence of latent heart failure. No specific treatment can yet be recommended but caution should be used with respect to procedures that may stress the heart such as shunt implantation and liver transplantation.

Address: Department of Clinical Physiology, 239, Hvidovre Hospital, University of Copenhagen, DK-2650 Hvidovre, Denmark. [email protected]

DOI: 10.1136/heart.87.1.9

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MeSH Terms: Autonomic Nervous System Diseases, Blood Pressure, Cardiomegaly, Coronary Circulation, Heart Conduction System, Heart Diseases, Humans, Liver Cirrhosis, Liver Transplantation, Portasystemic Shunt, Surgical, Ventricular Dysfunction, Left