Alcohol hangovers and the risk of developing immune-related diseases

Background: Contrary to popular belief, there is a positive relationship between the frequency of experiencing alcohol hangover and their severity. This reverse tolerance implies that hangovers become worse when they are experienced more often. Research on the pathology of the alcohol hangover revealed that the inflammatory response after alcohol consumption, i.e. elevated levels of immune biomarkers such as cytokines and c-reactive protein (CRP), is an important factor that elicits the alcohol hangover. It is hypothesized that frequently experiencing hangovers could lead to chronic systemic inflammation. The latter is a significant health concern, as chronic systemic inflammation is associated with an increased susceptibility to developing chronic immune-related non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Methods: Results from a study among N=108 young Dutch adults are discussed that further investigated the association of hangover frequency and severity with immune fitness, i.e. the body’s capacity to respond to health challenges (such as infections) by activating an appropriate immune response. Possible confounding factors, including age, sex, weekly alcohol consumption, sleep quality, physical activity, daily diet, stress, and mental resilience were assessed and taken into account, as well as salivary immune biomarkers. Results: The study revealed that both hangover frequency and hangover severity correlated significantly and negatively with immune fitness. The results were supported by salivary immune biomarker outcomes. A highly significant positive correlation was found between hangover frequency and hangover severity, suggesting that hangovers become worse when experienced more frequently. Conclusion: The findings confirm that experiencing more frequent and more severe hangovers is associated with poorer immune fitness, thereby potentially increasing the risk of developing immune-related diseases.

Dr. Joris C Verster (1970) investigates the role of immune fitness in health and disease at Utrecht University, the Netherlands, and is appointed as adjunct professor at Swinburne University (Australia) and the TU Dresden (Germany). Dr. Verster founded the Alcohol Hangover Research Group and published extensively on immune fitness, and the effects of alcohol and hangovers.