Regular tipple may curb risk of rheumatoid arthritis

30/06/2008

Flying in the face of endless media hype and government campaigns about rising alcoholism in the UK - especially among middle aged women - is a refreshing piece of new research: alcohol cuts the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis by up to 50%.

 

The research from Scandinavia, to be published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, was based on more than 2,750 people taking part in two separate studies, which assessed environmental and genetic risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis. Over half of the participants (1,650) had the disease and had been matched for age, sex, and residential locality with randomly selected members of the general public. Everyone was quizzed about their lifestyle - including how much they smoked and drank - and blood samples were taken to check for genetic risk factors.

 

And the results showed that drinking alcohol was associated with a significantly lower risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis - for both men and women. In fact, the more alcohol was consumed, the lower the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Among those who drank regularly, the quarter with the highest consumption were up to 50% less likely to develop the disease compared with the half who drank the least.

 

Among those with antibodies to a specific group of proteins involved in the development of the disease, alcohol cut the risk most in smokers with genetic risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis.

 

The authors conclude that their research reinforces the importance of lifestyle factors in the development of the disease, and that giving up smoking remains the single most important preventive measure. They also draw parallels with the links between moderate alcohol consumption and a reduced risk of other inflammatory processes - such as cardiovascular disease.