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 less than 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 less than 0.01) and LV end-systolic dimension by 3% (p less than 0.05). Stroke volume was reduced by 12% (p less than 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 less than 0.05), ejection fraction by 7% (p less than 0.05), and circumferential fiber shortening velocity by 19% (p less than 0.01); total peripheral resistance was decreased by 17% (p less than 0.001). The resultant increase in cardiac output amounted to 22% (p less than 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.