RESEARCH - Alcohol consumption does not reduce risk for SLE

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Alcohol Consumption Does Not Reduce Risk for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

February 25, 2009 — Alcohol consumption does not appear to provide a

protective effect for the development of systemic lupus erythematosus

(SLE), according to a study published in the March issue of the ls

of Rheumatic Diseases. Individuals with SLE are also more likely to

stop drinking both before and after diagnosis, according to the study.

Several previous studies have suggested that alcohol may afford

protection against the development of lupus. However, limitations in

the design of these studies as well as the lack of an underlying

biological principle to reinforce this finding prompted further

investigation by Jun Wang, MD, PhD, from the Division of Rheumatology

at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, and colleagues.

" Because there is little biological rationale to support a protective

effect of alcohol in the development of SLE, we hypothesized that the

associations seen in previous studies may have resulted from some form

of protopathic bias, which is an effect of disease on the exposure

leading to a false perception of association, " Dr. Wang and colleagues

explain in the article. Many lupus patients, for example, develop

intolerance for alcohol during the early onset of the disease.

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Read the full article here:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/588707

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