Drunkenness,Hangover, and the Heart

Cardiac effects of ethanol ingestion (1.75 g/kg within 3 hours) were examined in 8 healthy males by echocardiography and systolic time intervals in a controlled study. Heart rate (HR) was increased by 15% (p<0.05) during intoxication when blood ethanol (mean±SD) was 33.7 ±4.1 mmol/l. Left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic dimension was simultaneously shortened by 4% (p<0.01) and LV end-systolic dimension by 3% (p<0.05). Stroke volume was reduced by 12% (p<0.05). Most subjects experienced hangover symptoms 12 hours after the beginning of ethanol intake; blood ethanol was 8.8 ± 4.0 mmol/l. At this time, HR was raised by 17% (p<0.05), ejection fraction by 7% (p<0.05), and circumferential fiber shortening velocity by 19% (p<0.01); total peripheral resistance was decreased by 17% (p<0.001). The resultant increase in cardiac output amounted to 22% (p<0.01). In short, the main effect of ethanol at modest blood concentrations was to reduce LV preload without detectably impairing myocardial performance. Hangover was characterized by vasodilation as well as intensified LV myocardial and pump performances.