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Alcohol may cut arthritis risk
Women who consume moderate amounts of alcohol can lower their risk of contracting rheumatoid arthritis, according to a new Swedish study.
Drinking more than three glasses a week for at least 10 years halves the risk of rheumatoid arthritis, researchers found.
The study of more than 34,000 Swedish women found the risk among those who drank more than three glasses of alcohol per week in 1987 and 1997 was 52% lower than those who were never drank.
The researchers gathered detailed information on alcohol consumption, diet, smoking history, physical activity and education level between 1987 and 1997.
The results, published in the British Medical Journal, add to other studies that have observed positive effects of moderate drinking.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory joint disorder that usually develops between the ages of 40 and 50.
About 1% of the world’s population is affected – women three times more often than men.
“The results of this study indicate that moderate consumption of alcohol may reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis among women,” the report stated.
“These results are in accordance with the inverse association between moderate alcohol consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease and add to the evidence that moderate alcohol consumption is not harmful and can be protective against such a chronic disease as rheumatoid arthritis.
“However, the effect of higher doses of alcohol on the risk of rheumatoid arthritis remains unknown.”