Drink up

According to research conducted at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, drinking alcohol cuts the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis by as much as 50%. The results will appear in a future issue of the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases though they have released the gist of the findings ahead of print.

The Karolinska Institute assessed 2,750 people in two studies, Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases reports. The risk was up to 50% lower for those who drank the equivalent of five glasses of wine a week compared with those who drank the least, they found.

Rheumatoid arthritis, an auto-immune disease caused by a malfunctioning immune system, is a condition which results in tender, stiff and swollen joints. It affects 400,000 people in the UK.

The incidence of Rheumatoid arthritis is in the region of 3 cases per 10,000 population per annum. Onset is uncommon under the age of 15 and from then on the incidence rises with age until the age of 80. Women are affected three to five times as often as men and it is 4 times more common in smokers than non-smokers.

The two separate studies assessed environmental and genetic risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis. Participants were quizzed about their lifestyle, including how much they smoked and drank, while blood samples were taken to check for genetic risk factors. So if you're at risk, having that glass of wine each day is not only a good idea, but it's necessary for your health. Sköl!

If you want to read more, go here. The actual article hasn't been published yet so I don't know how strong the data is yet.

Comments

Unknown said…
I saw that article and was surprised to find that smoking was a risk factor. Is there any ailment that smoking doesn't cause or affect negatively?
Blonde Goddess said…
I think I'll drink a little something later this evening. Rheumatoid arthritis runs in my family....nothing like a little preventative medicine right?
Deana said…
Well I don't think I'll have rhematoid arthritis then, which is good because my grandfather and mother suffer. Or he did suffer, he is passed now. But I don't know about how the liver will like it!
I can rest easy knowing I am not a candidate for RA. Thanks!
tiff said…
Is more better?

I hope so.
Bobkat said…
Very interesting. My mother suffers from accute RA and the onset occurred at about the age I am getting to so I'm gonna have that glass of wine.

It's very sad because we have just watched her go downhill over the years as it gets progressively worse. She can barely walk now.

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