Hangover and the risk of stroke in middle-aged men.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to examine the association between hangover and the risk of stroke.


METHODS
A population-based sample of men with an average follow-up of 15.7 years. 2466 men with no history of stroke at baseline participated. Two hundred and six strokes occurred, of which 167 were ischemic strokes.


RESULTS
The age-adjusted, relative risk (RR) for any stroke among men with ≥1 hangover per year was 2.33-fold (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.19-4.56; P = 0.013) relative to men without hangover, and 2.99-fold (95% CI, 1.52-5.86; P = 0.001) for ischemic stroke, respectively. After adjustment for age, smoking, high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, BMI, SBP, myocardial ischemia during exercise, symptomatic coronary heart disease (CHD) and CHD in family, C-reactive protein, diabetes, and total alcohol consumption, the RR for any stroke was 1.94-fold (95% CI, 0.95-3.96; P = 0.070) and 2.58-fold (95% CI, 1.24-5.36; P = 0.011) for ischemic stroke among men with hangovers. Additional adjustment of atrial fibrillation and cardiac failure and risk was 2.45-fold (95% CI, 1.18-5.12; P = 0.017) for ischemic strokes.


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows that at least one hangover a year is related to an increased risk of ischemic stroke in men.
Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
S H
SH
Rantakömi
J A
JA
Laukkanen
J
J
Sivenius
J
J
Kauhanen
S
S
Kurl
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*