饮酒有助预防关节炎是不少人的经验之谈，一项最新科学研究再次证实了这种说法的合理性，这项研究发现那些适度饮酒的人与不饮酒的人相比患风湿性关节炎的风险的确更低。新一期《英国医学杂志》（British Medical Journal ）刊登了这项报告。
瑞典卡罗琳医学院等机构研究人员调查了3万多名女性的健康资料，她们出生于1914年到1948年之间，接受了长期的跟踪调查，其中有些人一直被跟踪到2009年。
分析显示，那些每个星期饮酒量在3杯以上者，与不饮酒者相比患风湿性关节炎的风险要低52%；而每周饮酒4杯以上者，与每周饮酒不到1杯者相比患风湿性关节炎的风险也要低37%。这里对一杯酒的定义是相当于含15克酒精，对饮用红酒、啤酒等各种情况都进行了折算，这些不同的酒类在预防关节炎方面都有相似的效果。
研究人员说，关节炎是由免疫系统错误地攻击关节部位的健康组织引起，而酒精可以抑制免疫系统的这种作用，因此饮酒有助预防关节炎。
对于酒精的这种作用，近年来逐渐有研究予以揭示，比如2006年瑞典哥德堡大学研究人员在美国《国家科学院院刊》上报告说，如果让实验鼠每日摄入少量酒精，能够明显降低它们患风湿性关节炎的风险；2010年，英国设菲尔德大学研究人员也在《风湿病学》杂志上报告说，对一些关节炎患者的调查显示，饮酒可以减轻他们的关节炎症状。
不过研究人员也强调说，饮酒有助预防关节炎并不能成为酗酒的借口，因为早有研究显示酗酒会导致多方面的健康风险，只有适度的饮酒，才能对酒精用其利而避其弊。（生物谷Bioon.com)
doi:10.1136/bmj.e4230
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Long term alcohol intake and risk of rheumatoid arthritis in women: a population based cohort study
Di Giuseppe, Daniela; Alfredsson, Lars; Bottai, Matteo; Askling, Johan; Wolk, Alicja
Objective To analyse the association between alcohol intake and incidence of rheumatoid arthritis in women. Design Prospective cohort study with repeated measurements. Setting The Swedish Mammography Cohort, a population based cohort from central Sweden. Participants 34?141 women born between 1914 and 1948, followed up from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2009. Main outcome measures Newly diagnosed cases of rheumatoid arthritis identified by linkage with two Swedish national registers. Data on alcohol consumption were collected in 1987 and 1997. Results During the follow-up period (226?032 person years), 197 incident cases of rheumatoid arthritis were identified. There was a statistically significant 37% decrease in risk of rheumatoid arthritis among women who drank >4 glasses of alcohol (1 glass = 15 g of ethanol) per week compared with women who drank <1 glass per week or who never drank alcohol (relative risk 0.63 (95% confidence interval 0.42 to 0.96), P=0.04). Drinking of all types of alcohol (beer, wine, and liquor) was non-significantly inversely associated with the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Analysis of long term alcohol consumption showed that women who reported drinking >3 glasses of alcohol per week in both 1987 and 1997 had a 52% decreased risk of rheumatoid arthritis compared with those who never drank (relative risk 0.48 (0.24 to 0.98)). Conclusion Moderate consumption of alcohol is associated with reduced risk of rheumatoid arthritis.
