Alcohol could form part of arthritis healthcare plan

Sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may want to consider introducing alcohol consumption as part of a healthcare plan.

New research, published in the journal Rheumatology, has revealed that drinking alcohol can reduce the condition's severity and cut the risk of the disease developing in the first place.

Researchers from the University of Sheffield compared a group of RA sufferers with a group without the disease.

Both groups were asked how frequently they had drunk alcohol in the month preceding the study.

They also filled out detailed questionnaires, had x-rays, blood tests and underwent a joint examination.

It was found that RA sufferers that drank the most alcohol had symptoms that were less severe than those who had never drank alcohol or only drunk occasionally, the first time such a link has been shown in humans.

"X-rays showed there was less damage to joints, blood tests showed lower levels of inflammation, and there was less joint pain, swelling and disability," said the study's lead author Dr James Maxwell.

Additionally, it was discovered that non-drinkers were four times more likely to develop RA than those who drank alcohol on more than ten days a month, confirming findings of previous studies.

There are approximately 20,000 new cases of rheumatoid arthritis in the UK every year.

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