Hangover Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Hangover, including details on alcohol, treatment, drugs, effects.

The incidence and severity of hangover the morning after moderate alcohol intoxication.

Howland J, Rohsenow DJ, Allensworth-Davies D, Greece J, Almeida A, Minsky SJ, Arnedt JT, Hermos J

Youth Alcohol Prevention Center, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA. jhowl@bu.edu

AIMS: To determine the incidence and covariates of hangover following a night of moderate alcohol consumption at a targeted breath alcohol level. DESIGN: Data were combined from three randomized cross-over trials investigating the effects of heavy drinking on next-day performance. A total of 172 participants received either alcoholic beverage (mean=0.115 g% breath alcohol concentration) or placebo on one night and the other beverage a week later. The next day, participants completed a hangover scale. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 54 professional merchant mariners attending a recertification course at Kalmar Maritime Academy (Kalmar, Sweden) and 118 university students or recent graduates recruited from greater Boston. SETTING: One trial was conducted at Kalmar Maritime Academy (Sweden); the other two were conducted at the General Clinical Research Center at Boston Medical Center. MEASUREMENTS: A nine-item scale assessed hangover. FINDINGS: Hangover was reported by 76% of participants. Neither alcoholic beverage type nor participant characteristics was associated with incidence of hangover. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings on the propensity of hangover suggest that 25-30% of drinkers may be resistant to hangover.

Published 16 April 2008 in Addiction, 103(5): 758-65.
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