Chronic alcohol misuse can contribute to hypertension, which can damage the heart over time and increase risk factors like: heart failure, heart attack, thickening of the left ventricle, irregular heart rate, coronary artery disease, heart disease, heart palpitations, and atrial fibrillation. Severe drinking habits can also lead to alcoholic cardiomyopathy, which is when your heart's muscles overstretch and eventually weaken, changing your heart's size. Alcoholic cardiomyopathy can cause scar tissue to build up in your heart.