Health
Long COVID could be the cause of your bad hangovers, study finds: 'Bad reaction'
Drinking too much is often a recipe for a morning-after disaster.
But for long COVID patients, hangover symptoms might be much worse, according to research.
A small study by Stanford University, which was published in the journal Cureus, examined alcohol sensitivity in four people with post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC), or long COVID.
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Two patients reported worse headaches after drinking the same amount of alcohol they would have consumed prior to having COVID.
One patient, a 40-year-old woman with a history of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type III, asthma, anemia, hypotension and migraines, claimed that she could tolerate seven mixed drinks containing hard liquor in one night before long COVID struck.
For long COVID patients, hangover symptoms might be much worse, according to new research from Stanford University. (iStock)
But ever since getting COVID, the woman reported that her hangovers feel like she “suffers from alcohol poisoning after drinking even small amounts of alcohol and feels ‘terrible’ for several days after consumption,” the study reported.
The woman noted that her tolerance had decreased so significantly that one beer would result in a “severe hangover, along with exacerbation of PASC symptoms for three days thereafter.”
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Another patient, a 49-year-old woman with a history of type 1 diabetes, celiac disease controlled by diet, and breast cancer — who consumes several drinks per week — said she noticed a decreased alcohol tolerance after her COVID infection.
After drinking just one glass of wine, she reported experiencing “such a bad reaction that she felt she could not move,” the researchers noted.
Some patients reported having worse headaches after drinking the same amount of alcohol they would have consumed prior to having COVID. (iStock)
The woman described her symptoms as “similar to a bad hangover, with a headache, grogginess and ‘overwhelming’ fatigue the next day.”
The research concluded that new-onset alcohol reactions and sensitivity can occur after COVID-19 infection in patients with PASC.
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“Clinicians assessing PASC patients should inquire about alcohol consumption and tolerance in their social history, as this information can provide insights into potential triggers for worsening symptoms and help guide lifestyle management strategies,” the study suggested.
Stanford Internal Medicine director and study co-author Linda Geng noted how “the clinical observations from this paper raise important questions about the link between long COVID and alcohol sensitivity,” as provided in a statement sent to Fox News Digital.
The research concluded that new-onset alcohol reactions and sensitivity can occur after COVID-19 infection in patients with PASC. (iStock)
“Studying this further might provide insights about the mechanism(s) of long COVID and other post-viral syndromes,” she said.
“Additionally, patients with long COVID should be cautious about the use of alcohol, and some may feel better if they avoid it altogether.”
“Alcohol can worsen the post-COVID symptoms.”
Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel, who was not involved in the study, noted that although this research surveyed only four patients, he also has recognized an increased sensitivity to alcohol in some of his own PASC patients.
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“[This study] builds on previous research that in the case of post-viral syndromes (including mononucleosis), sensitivity to alcohol can increase,” Siegel said via email to Fox News Digital.
“I have seen this in some of my patients with post-COVID syndromes,” he went on. “The symptoms are similar: headache, nausea, fatigue, body aches. And alcohol can worsen the post-COVID symptoms.”
Siegel explained that both post-COVID symptoms and alcohol can “lead to inflammation and affect the immune system.”
“And recent research shows that COVID can lead to some leakiness in the blood brain barrier so that inflammatory chemicals (including those from alcohol) can get into the brain at least temporarily, causing headache, nausea and dizziness,” he said.
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Bala Munipalli, M.D., an internist at Mayo Clinic in Florida, also weighed in on this study, noting to Fox News Digital that post-viral persistence of symptoms is “not unique to COVID-19.”
Munipalli was also not involved in the study.
“We have seen this occurring since the 1918 Spanish flu, and saw it with SARS-CoV-1 in 2003 and with Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2012,” she said.
“Recent research shows that COVID can lead to some leakiness in the blood brain barrier so that inflammatory chemicals (including those from alcohol) can get into the brain at least temporarily, causing headache, nausea and dizziness,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Individuals with PASC have shared symptoms with ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, mast cell activation syndrome, and dysautonomia: fatigue, brain fog, un-refreshing sleep, myalgias, and food and medication sensitivities,” Munipalli added.
In each of the syndromes mentioned, Munipalli detailed how the brain processes sensory input faster, causing the sensory signals to become “amplified and more widespread as more areas of the brain become activated.”
“This results in the central nervous system becoming sensitized,” she said. “And I suspect this is what is happening with patients who have PASC and demonstrate alcohol sensitivity.”
Anyone experiencing symptoms of alcohol use disorder should seek help from a doctor, therapist or counselor, experts recommend.
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Cases of gout are rising in younger individuals, according to a global study.
The condition, which is a type of inflammatory arthritis, steadily increased in people aged 15 to 39 between 1990 and 2021, researchers in China announced.
Although rates vary widely between countries, the total number of young people with the condition is expected to continue rising through 2035.
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The study, published in the journal Joint Bone Spine, investigated 2021 data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD), spanning 204 countries within the 30-year timeframe.
The data measured gout prevalence, incidence and years lived with disability, tracking global trends over time. The results showed a global increase across all three outcomes.
Gout is expected to continue rising in young people through 2035. (iStock)
Prevalence and disability years increased by 66%, and incidence rose by 62%. In 2021, 15- to 39-year-olds accounted for nearly 14% of new gout cases globally, the study found.
Men from 35 to 39 years old and people in high-income regions had the highest burden, but high-income North America topped the list for highest rates.
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Men were also found to have lived more years with gout due to high BMI, while women tended to have the condition as a link to kidney dysfunction, the study noted.
The total number of cases is expected to increase globally due to population growth, but the study projected that rates per population would decrease.
The researchers noted that data quality, especially in low-income settings, could have posed a limitation to the broad GBD data.
What is gout?
Gout is a common form of arthritis involving sudden and severe attacks of pain, swelling, redness and tenderness in the joints, according to Mayo Clinic. It most often occurs in the big toe.
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The condition occurs when urate crystals accumulate in the joint. These form when there are high levels of uric acid in the blood, which the body produces when it breaks down a natural substance called purines.
A gout flare-up can happen at any time, often at night, causing the affected joint to feel hot, swollen, tender and sensitive to the touch.
Urate crystals, described as sharp and needle-like, build up in the joint, causing intense pain and swelling. (iStock)
Purines can also be found in certain foods, like red meat or organ meats like liver and some seafood, including anchovies, sardines, mussels, scallops, trout and tuna, according to the Mayo Clinic. Alcoholic drinks, especially beer, and drinks sweetened with fruit sugar can also lead to higher uric acid levels.
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Uric acid will typically dissolve in the blood and pass through the kidneys into urine, but when the body produces too much or too little uric acid, it can cause a build-up of urate crystals. These are described by the Mayo Clinic as sharp and needle-like, causing pain, inflammation and swelling in the joint or surrounding tissue.
Risk factors for gout include a diet rich in high-purine foods and being overweight, which causes the body to produce more uric acid and the kidneys to have trouble eliminating it.
Experts urge patients to seek medical attention for gout flare-ups. (iStock)
Certain conditions like untreated high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome and heart and kidney diseases can increase the risk of gout, as well as certain medications.
A family history of gout can also increase risk. Men are more likely to develop the condition, as women tend to have lower uric acid levels, although symptoms generally develop after menopause.
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Untreated gout can cause worsening pain and joint damage, experts caution. It may also lead to more severe conditions, such as recurrent gout, advanced gout and kidney stones.
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The Mayo Clinic advises patients to seek immediate medical care if a fever occurs or if a joint becomes hot and inflamed, which is a sign of infection. Certain anti-inflammatory medications can help treat gout flares and complications.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
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A new study suggests that annual mammograms may not be the only effective approach for preventing breast cancer.
The research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), tested a risk-based breast cancer screening approach against standard annual mammography.
The WISDOM randomized clinical trial, led by study authors from universities and healthcare systems across the U.S., considered more than 28,000 women aged 40 to 74 years old, splitting them into a risk-based screening group and an annual mammography group.
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Researchers calculated each woman’s individual risk based on genetics (sequencing of nine breast cancer genes) and other health factors.
A new study suggests that annual mammograms may not be the only effective approach for preventing breast cancer. (iStock)
Those who were at the highest risk were advised to alternate between a mammogram and an MRI scan every six months. Patients with elevated risk were told to get an annual mammography and counseling.
Average-risk women were guided to get mammograms every two years, while low-risk individuals were advised to have no screening until they became higher risk or reached age 50.
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The researchers found that risk-based screening did not lead to more advanced cancer diagnoses (stage 2B or higher) compared with annual screening, indicating that it is just as safe as traditional methods. The risk-based approach, however, did not reduce the number of biopsies overall, as researchers had hoped.
Among the risk-based group of women, those with higher risk had more screening, biopsies and detected cancers. Women at lower risk had fewer procedures.
The research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), tested a risk-based breast cancer screening approach against standard annual mammography. (iStock)
“[The] findings suggest that risk-based breast cancer screening is a safe alternative to annual screening for women aged 40 to 74 years,” the researchers noted in the research summary. “Screening intensity matched individual risk, potentially reducing unnecessary imaging.”
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Fox News medical contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier, associate professor of radiology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New Jersey, commented that while these findings are important, the study “completely sidelines” what screenings are designed to do — detect cancer early.
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“If you don’t measure stage 0, stage 1 or stage 2A cancers, you can’t tell whether personalized screening delays diagnosis in a way that matters for survival and treatment intensity,” Saphier, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital in an interview.
Those who were at the highest risk were advised to alternate between a mammogram and an MRI scan every six months. (iStock)
More than 60% of breast cancers in the U.S. are diagnosed at stage 1 or 2A, where cure rates exceed 90%, the doctor noted.
The trial doesn’t “fully evaluate” whether risk-based screening changes detection at the earliest and most treatable stages, where screening “delivers its greatest benefit,” according to Saphier.
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“Mammography is not without risk — radiation exposure, false positives, anxiety and potential over-diagnosis are real and should be acknowledged,” she said. “But it remains the most effective, evidence-based tool for detecting breast cancer early, when treatment is most successful.”
The expert added that labeling women under 50 as “low risk” is “outdated,” as breast cancer diagnoses are on the rise in younger females.
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“Until long-term mortality data support alternative approaches, annual screening beginning at 40 for average risk women should continue,” Saphier added. “Women should be assessed for breast cancer risk by 25 years old to determine if screening should begin earlier.”
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