Hangover susceptibility in relation to aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 genotype, alcohol flushing, and mean corpuscular volume in Japanese workers.

BACKGROUND

A study of Asian-American students suggested a positive association between inactive ALDH2*2 and susceptibility to hangover. A biomarker for moderate-to-heavy drinking in persons with inactive aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2) is increased mean corpuscular volume (MCV).

METHODS

Associations between hangover and ALDH2 genotype, alcohol flushing, and MCV were examined for 251 Japanese workers (139 men, 112 women).

RESULTS

Inactive ALDH21/22 heterozygotes drank less alcohol than active ALDH21/21 homozygotes (p < 0.0001), but the frequency of hangover did not significantly differ between the two groups for either gender. The amount of drinking reported to lead to hangover was significantly less for male and female ALDH21/22 heterozygotes than for their ALDH21/21 homozygous counterparts (p < 0.005). The proportion of men who had hangover three times or more during the past year increased significantly with increased daily alcohol consumption in men with the ALDH21/22 genotype (p = 0.0002) but not in those with the ALDH21/21 genotype. For men who usually consumed <44 g of ethanol/day, the median amount of drinking before hangover was significantly lower for ALDH2*1/2*2 men than for ALDH2*1/2*1 men reporting the same level of consumption. Hangover occurred with consistently high frequency among ALDH2*1/2*1 men, regardless of their daily consumption. Similar findings were observed in a comparison of men who never flushed and those who reported current or former flushing, a surrogate marker of inactive ALDH2. Assessment of hangover risk by quartiles of MCV showed that men with MCV of > or =96 had a significantly higher risk of hangover than did men with MCV of <91 (odds ratio = 5.56; 95% confidence interval = 1.69-18.25).

CONCLUSIONS

Inactive heterozygous ALDH2, alcohol flushing, and increased MCV were positively associated with hangover susceptibility in Japanese workers, suggesting that acetaldehyde is etiologically linked to the development of hangover.