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Regular alcohol consumption significantly reduces the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), suggests research published ahead of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, assessed 2750 people who took part in two studies looking at environmental and genetic risk factors for RA. The researchers
found that people who drank alcohol regularly – around five glasses of wine a week - were up to 50% less likely to develop RA compared to those who rarely drank. The more alcohol consumed,
the lower the risk of developing the condition, they added. But Professor Robert Moots, consultant rheumatologist and spokesperson for the Arthritis Research Campaign, said the study results
should be treated with caution. ‘Drinking a moderate amount of alcohol may have a protective effect against rheumatoid arthritis in ways that we don’t yet understand, possibly comparable to
the effects of drinking moderate amounts of red wine on cardiovascular disease,’ he said. ‘But there is no doubt that drinking too much is very bad for our health in many ways and these
risks by far outweigh any potential benefit for reducing the risk of rheumatoid arthritis,’ he added.