Type of Drink Is More Critical Than Number

BALTIMORE – Drinking clear liquors–such as vodka and gin–and drinking more than one type of alcoholic beverage are both associated with an increased risk of having a hangover among college students, even after controlling for the number of drinks.

Students who drank clear liquors were twice as likely to have a hangover as those who drank beer, even after controlling for the number of drinks, according to a poster presented at a joint meeting sponsored by the Research Society on Alcoholism and the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism.

Likewise, consuming more than one type of beverage also was associated with hangover, even after controlling for the number of drinks.

“Although these results suggest that consuming more than one beverage type or consuming clear liquors is associated with hangover endorsement, it is not clear whether this is due to the specific beverages consumed or to other factors than may contribute to hangover, such as rate of consumption and drinking style,” wrote Amee J. Epler, a graduate student in psychological sciences at the University of Missouri, Columbia, and her colleagues.

The researchers studied the drinking habits of 127 students at a large Midwestern university over a 14-day period. The sample was predominantly white (85%), with slightly more women (61%). Smokers accounted for 43%.

The students monitored their experiences several times a day during a 14-day period using an electronic diary. The first question asked each day was whether the student had drunk alcohol on the previous day. Those who answered “yes” were asked several follow-up questions about the drinking episode: number of drinks, duration of the episode, types of beverages consumed, and presence of a hangover.

The researchers also found that women might be more susceptible to hangover at similar levels of consumption.

In addition, the students were asked about several hangover symptoms and mood states, regardless of whether they reported a hangover.

Hangover symptoms included these categories: “more tired than usual,” “headache,” “nauseous,” “very weak,” “extremely thirsty,” or “dehydrated.”

The mood states included “scared,” “upset,” “distressed,” “enthusiastic,” “interested,” and “proud.”

Almost three-quarters (73%) reported at least one drinking episode over the 14-day study; 41% reported at least one hangover. Among participants who reported at least one hangover, the number of hangovers ranged from one to seven (median two). Drinking episodes and reports of hangover were associated primarily with weekends–75% of each occurred on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays.

Students reporting a hangover consumed 10 drinks, compared with 6 drinks for those without a hangover. The number of drinks consumed was a significant predictor of hangover.

The most frequently consumed beverage was beer–74% of drinking records. Beer was followed by clear liquors (37%), dark liquors (24%), non-beer malt beverages (9%), white wine (6%), liqueur/schnapps (5%), and red wine (4%), the investigators found.

Symptoms more likely to be reported on hangover days included “extreme thirst or dehydration,” “more tired than usual,” “headache,” and “nausea.”

“Interestingly, none of the mood symptoms (with the possible exception of 'upset') were significantly associated with hangover,” the investigators wrote.

BALTIMORE – Drinking clear liquors–such as vodka and gin–and drinking more than one type of alcoholic beverage are both associated with an increased risk of having a hangover among college students, even after controlling for the number of drinks.

Students who drank clear liquors were twice as likely to have a hangover as those who drank beer, even after controlling for the number of drinks, according to a poster presented at a joint meeting sponsored by the Research Society on Alcoholism and the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism.

Likewise, consuming more than one type of beverage also was associated with hangover, even after controlling for the number of drinks.

“Although these results suggest that consuming more than one beverage type or consuming clear liquors is associated with hangover endorsement, it is not clear whether this is due to the specific beverages consumed or to other factors than may contribute to hangover, such as rate of consumption and drinking style,” wrote Amee J. Epler, a graduate student in psychological sciences at the University of Missouri, Columbia, and her colleagues.

The researchers studied the drinking habits of 127 students at a large Midwestern university over a 14-day period. The sample was predominantly white (85%), with slightly more women (61%). Smokers accounted for 43%.

The students monitored their experiences several times a day during a 14-day period using an electronic diary. The first question asked each day was whether the student had drunk alcohol on the previous day. Those who answered “yes” were asked several follow-up questions about the drinking episode: number of drinks, duration of the episode, types of beverages consumed, and presence of a hangover.

The researchers also found that women might be more susceptible to hangover at similar levels of consumption.

In addition, the students were asked about several hangover symptoms and mood states, regardless of whether they reported a hangover.

Hangover symptoms included these categories: “more tired than usual,” “headache,” “nauseous,” “very weak,” “extremely thirsty,” or “dehydrated.”

The mood states included “scared,” “upset,” “distressed,” “enthusiastic,” “interested,” and “proud.”

Almost three-quarters (73%) reported at least one drinking episode over the 14-day study; 41% reported at least one hangover. Among participants who reported at least one hangover, the number of hangovers ranged from one to seven (median two). Drinking episodes and reports of hangover were associated primarily with weekends–75% of each occurred on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays.

Students reporting a hangover consumed 10 drinks, compared with 6 drinks for those without a hangover. The number of drinks consumed was a significant predictor of hangover.

The most frequently consumed beverage was beer–74% of drinking records. Beer was followed by clear liquors (37%), dark liquors (24%), non-beer malt beverages (9%), white wine (6%), liqueur/schnapps (5%), and red wine (4%), the investigators found.

Symptoms more likely to be reported on hangover days included “extreme thirst or dehydration,” “more tired than usual,” “headache,” and “nausea.”

“Interestingly, none of the mood symptoms (with the possible exception of 'upset') were significantly associated with hangover,” the investigators wrote.

BALTIMORE – Drinking clear liquors–such as vodka and gin–and drinking more than one type of alcoholic beverage are both associated with an increased risk of having a hangover among college students, even after controlling for the number of drinks.

Students who drank clear liquors were twice as likely to have a hangover as those who drank beer, even after controlling for the number of drinks, according to a poster presented at a joint meeting sponsored by the Research Society on Alcoholism and the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism.

Likewise, consuming more than one type of beverage also was associated with hangover, even after controlling for the number of drinks.

“Although these results suggest that consuming more than one beverage type or consuming clear liquors is associated with hangover endorsement, it is not clear whether this is due to the specific beverages consumed or to other factors than may contribute to hangover, such as rate of consumption and drinking style,” wrote Amee J. Epler, a graduate student in psychological sciences at the University of Missouri, Columbia, and her colleagues.

The researchers studied the drinking habits of 127 students at a large Midwestern university over a 14-day period. The sample was predominantly white (85%), with slightly more women (61%). Smokers accounted for 43%.

The students monitored their experiences several times a day during a 14-day period using an electronic diary. The first question asked each day was whether the student had drunk alcohol on the previous day. Those who answered “yes” were asked several follow-up questions about the drinking episode: number of drinks, duration of the episode, types of beverages consumed, and presence of a hangover.

The researchers also found that women might be more susceptible to hangover at similar levels of consumption.

In addition, the students were asked about several hangover symptoms and mood states, regardless of whether they reported a hangover.

Hangover symptoms included these categories: “more tired than usual,” “headache,” “nauseous,” “very weak,” “extremely thirsty,” or “dehydrated.”

The mood states included “scared,” “upset,” “distressed,” “enthusiastic,” “interested,” and “proud.”

Almost three-quarters (73%) reported at least one drinking episode over the 14-day study; 41% reported at least one hangover. Among participants who reported at least one hangover, the number of hangovers ranged from one to seven (median two). Drinking episodes and reports of hangover were associated primarily with weekends–75% of each occurred on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays.

Students reporting a hangover consumed 10 drinks, compared with 6 drinks for those without a hangover. The number of drinks consumed was a significant predictor of hangover.

The most frequently consumed beverage was beer–74% of drinking records. Beer was followed by clear liquors (37%), dark liquors (24%), non-beer malt beverages (9%), white wine (6%), liqueur/schnapps (5%), and red wine (4%), the investigators found.

Symptoms more likely to be reported on hangover days included “extreme thirst or dehydration,” “more tired than usual,” “headache,” and “nausea.”

“Interestingly, none of the mood symptoms (with the possible exception of 'upset') were significantly associated with hangover,” the investigators wrote.