See Clinical Perspective

1Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with alco-holic cardiomyopathy, characterized by enlargement of the heart, increased left ventricular (LV) mass, and ventricu-lar dysfunction.1 Moreover, alcohol intake has been associ-ated with hypertension, which also contributes to alterations in cardiac structure and function.2 Conversely, numerous studies support a protective association between light to moderate drinking with the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and even the risk of heart failure.3,4 However, the cardiovascular mechanisms of the risks and potential ben-efits of alcohol are uncertain.5,6 Furthermore, the variation in the toxic and protective effects of alcohol by sex remains controversial, as women may be more sensitive than men to the toxic effects of alcohol on cardiac function, developing alcoholic cardiomyopathy at a lower total lifetime dose of alcohol compared with men.