Aims

To support the free and open dissemination of research findings and information on alcoholism and alcohol-related problems. To encourage open access to peer-reviewed articles free for all to view.

For full versions of posted research articles readers are encouraged to email requests for "electronic reprints" (text file, PDF files, FAX copies) to the corresponding or lead author, who is highlighted in the posting.

___________________________________________

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Alcohol consumption is inversely associated with risk and severity of rheumatoid arthritis



To investigate the association between frequency of alcohol consumption and the risk and severity of RA.

Frequency of alcohol consumption was recorded by patients and controls in a self-completed questionnaire. Odds ratios (ORs) for RA risk were calculated according to alcohol consumption, adjusted for age, gender and smoking status. Median values of all RA severity measures were then calculated according to the frequency of alcohol consumption, and the non-parametric trend test was used to assess association. A negative binomial regression model was used to adjust for potential confounding.

Eight hundred and seventy-three patients with erosive RA, and 1004 healthy controls were included in the study. Risk of RA decreased according to frequency of alcohol consumption, such that non-drinkers had an OR for RA of 4.17 (3.01–5.77) compared with subjects consuming alcohol on >10 days per month (P for trend > including CRP, 28-joint DAS, pain visual analogue scale, modified HAQ (mHAQ) and modified Larsen score were inversely associated with increasing frequency of alcohol consumption (P for trend, each > in a multivariate regression model, frequency of alcohol consumption remained significantly and inversely associated with X-ray damage and mHAQ.

Although there are some limitations to this study, our data suggest that alcohol consumption has an inverse and dose-related association with both risk and severity of RA.


Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail: j.maxwell@sheffield.ac.uk