For centuries, the aftereffects of alcohol have been grist for prohibitionists and humorists. But the authors of a new study say it's time to pay practical attention to the economic and medical implications of alcohol hangovers.
In the June 6 Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, reviewed 35 years of medical literature on alcohol intoxication and hangover. Of 4700 studies, only 108 specifically discussed the effects of hangover.
Their review showed that in the United States, the cost of poor job performance and absenteeism from alcohol hangovers is $148 billion annually. Most of the cost is attributable to light-to-moderate drinkers rather than those considered to be alcoholic.
"Patients with hangover have diminished visual-spatial skills and dexterity, even after alcohol can no longer be detected in the blood," they wrote. Their review also showed that as many as 15% of adults who . . . [Full Text of this Article]
