People who drink alcohol are much less likely to suffer from serious joint diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthropathy or psoriatic arthritis, according to studies reported by the EurekAlert website.
Researchers from the University of Leiden in the Netherlands conducted a study in a group of 997 patients suffering from one of the serious inflammatory rheumatic diseases – most often rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but also spondyloarthropathy (arthritis involving the joints of the spine), reactive arthritis, psoriatic arthritis; and osteoarthritis. For comparison, 5877 healthy people were also tested.
Data was collected on the amount of alcohol consumed by the respondents per week. The analysis looked at factors influencing the risk of joint disease, such as age, gender, body mass index and smoking.
It turned out that among healthy people the percentage of alcohol drinkers was significantly higher (83%) than in the group of patients with rheumatic disease (from 53% to 69%, depending on the disease). However, this effect was not directly proportional to the amount of alcohol consumed.
Moreover, in people who consumed alcohol, the systemic inflammation in the body was less severe.
We know from previous studies that alcohol consumption may protect against the development of rheumatoid arthritis, but our latest data indicates that this also applies to other rheumatic diseases, comments the lead researcher Dr. Annekoos Leonoor Huidekoper from the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. the annual congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, which takes place in Rome.
According to the researchers, there are two possible explanations for the observed relationship. It may be that patients with more severe forms of joint disease drink less due to lifestyle modifications. However, it is possible that the alcohol circulating in the body protects against the development of general inflammation. More research is needed to resolve these issues. (PAP)