Sorry partiers, new research has discovered that the effects of alcohol may last far longer than just the typical hangover. According to a study by Majid Afshar, MD, MSCR, people who get drunk have immune systems that work slower compared to people who do not get drunk.
Binge drinking increases the risk of falls, burns, gunshot wounds, car accidents and other injuries, and as many as one-third of trauma patients have alcohol in their systems. These risks are nothing new. "But there is less awareness of alcohol's harmful effects in other areas, such as the immune system," said study co-author Elizabeth Kovacs, director of Loyola University's Alcohol Research Program.
The study, which included eight women and seven men with a median age of 27, found that twenty minutes after reaching peak intoxication, the immune system responses revved up. However, when measured again at two hours and five hours after peak intoxication, their immune systems had become much less active than when they were sober.
Each volunteer drank enough shots of vodka (generally four to five) to meet the definition of binge drinking. A 1.5 oz. shot of vodka has the equivalent alcohol content of a five-ounce glass of wine or a 12-ounce can of beer. Researchers took blood samples at 20 minutes, two hours and five hours because these are the times when intoxicated patients typically arrive at trauma centers. After 20 minutes, there were higher levels of three types of white blood cells, which are the key components of the immune system: leukocytes, monocytes and natural killer cells. In addition, there were increased levels of the proteins that signal the immune system to ramp up, known as cytokines.
However, after two hours and five hours, researchers found the opposite effect. There were fewer levels of monocytes and natural killer cells, and higher levels of cytokines that tell the immune system to become less active.
Dr. Afshar is planning yet another study of burn unit patients, as well. For the study, he plans to compare patients who had alcohol in their system when they arrive with alcohol-free patients. He will measure their immune system markets and compare outcomes of their injuries included lung injury, organ failure and death.
Loyola University's Alcohol Research Program is nationally recognized and regularly investigates issues such as the effects of alcohol on bones, how it effects the body's ability to recover from trauma and burns and whether binge drinking by teens can increase the risk of mood disorders later in life.
