Signs and symptoms of hangover: prevalence and relationship to alcohol use in a general adult population.

The post-intoxication state, commonly called hangover, has been known since antiquity; yet there has been little systematic research examining the signs and symptoms of hangover among the general population. The frequency and the various symptoms of hangovers, as well as the relationships between hangovers and alcohol consumption, were analyzed using a sample of 1041 adults 18 years and older living in Western New York State. Hangovers were experienced in the previous year by only about 50% of the population of heavier drinkers; the frequency was even less among those with lower alcohol consumption. Factor analysis of the various symptoms revealed significant clusters. The findings suggest that the aversive aspects of alcohol consumption, including the hangover syndrome, may deter excessive consumption; certain individuals in whom aversive reactions as hangover do not occur may be at high risk for excessive alcohol use.