High Alcohol Consumption Linked to Increased Risk of Psoriatic Arthritis in Women

Although moderate alcohol intake is linked to health benefits, a high consumption can have a negative effect on women.

Researchers from the Nurses’ Health Study identified the correlation between psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and alcohol in The Journal of Rheumatology. The team assessed the alcohol consumption of 82,672 US women between 1991 and 2005.

“Alcohol intake has been associated with an increased risk of psoriasis,” the study said. “However, the association between alcohol intake and risk of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) has been unclear.”

The alcohol intake information was collected from the subjects in 1991, 1995, 1999, and 2005. A total of 1,137,763 person-years of follow-up were gathered during the 14 year timeframe. The team also took note of patients who developed PsA during the course of the study.

The amount of drinking was classified as follows:

• Moderate consumption = 0.1 g to 14.9 g per day
• High consumption = 15 g to 29.9 g per day
• Excessive consumption = 30 g per day or more

The multivariate analyses revealed that the women who drank excessively had a hazard ration (HR) of 4.45. This is significantly higher than those in the moderate and high consumption categories, 0.70 and 1.43 HRs respectively. Once the HRs were fully adjusted the numbers suggested a raise for more concern with scores for moderate (0.69), high (2.04), and excessive (6.35).

“Risk estimates were generally consistent when using updated alcohol intake and baseline alcohol intake in 1992 as the exposures, and when the analysis was restricted to those who developed psoriasis during the followup,” the study informed.

The authors noted that a HR of 1.43 was found for women who did not consume any alcohol. This reaffirmed the previous understanding that moderate drinking actually has health benefits.

“A significant association (HR 2.84) was seen with regular consumption of beer and the risk of developing psoriatic arthritis,” a news release said.