RESEARCH - Alcohol consumption is not protective for SLE

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Ann Rheum Dis. Published Online First: 13 April 2008.

doi:10.1136/ard.2007.084582

Copyright © 2008 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd & European League Against

Rheumatism

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Extended Report

Alcohol consumption is not protective for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

Jun Wang 1*, B Kay 1, Fletcher 1, Margaret K Formica 1

and E McAlindon 2

1 Tufts Medical Center, United States

2 Tufts Medical Center, United States

Abstract

Objective: Several studies have suggested that alcohol drinking is

protective for the development and progression of systemic lupus

erythematosus (SLE). However, a protopathic bias might also explain

this apparent association. Our objective was to investigate the

association between alcohol consumption and incidence of SLE in a

dataset that has information on both current and pre-diagnostic

alcohol consumption.

Methods: We performed an Internet-based case-control study of SLE.

Cases were diagnosed within 5 years of the study and met > 4 ACR

criteria for SLE. The control participants were tightly matched to

cases on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics using a

propensity score. Participants completed an online exposure

assessment. We used conditional logistic regression analyses to test

the association of current and pre-diagnostic alcohol consumption with

SLE.

Results: The sample comprised 114 cases with SLE and 228 matched

controls. Current drinking (>2 days per week) was inversely associated

with SLE (OR, 0.35, 95% CI, 0.13-0.98). Having more than 2 drinks per

day was also inversely associated with SLE (OR, 0.41, 95% CI,

0.18-0.93). However, alcohol consumption before SLE diagnosis was not

associated with the risk of SLE (p>=0.4). Analysis of the change in

drinking habits showed that people with lupus were more likely to quit

drinking before (OR, 2.25, 95% CI, 0.96-5.28) or after (OR, 2.38, 95%

CI, 0.88-6.49) being given the SLE diagnosis.

Conclusions: Our results show that alcohol consumption before SLE

diagnosis is not associated with the risk for SLE, and that

individuals who develop SLE are more likely to quit.

http://ard.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/ard.2007.084582v1?papetoc

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