There’s an inverse association between moderate alcohol consumption (≥5 grams or 0.5 drink/day) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in women, according to a recent study. Researchers conducted a prospective cohort analysis among 204,055 women in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) cohorts, from 1980 to 2012, and NHSII from 1989 to 2011. They identified 125 incident SLE cases in NHS and 119 in NHSII, mean age at SLE diagnosis, 55.8 [SD 9.5] years in NHS and 43.4 (SD 7.7) years in NHSII. They found:

• Compared to no alcohol intake, the meta-analyzed multivariable hazard ratio (HR) for cumulative alcohol consumption ≥5 grams/day was 0.61.

• When limiting alcohol exposure to >4 years prior to SLE diagnosis, the multivariable HR was similar, 0.61.

• Women who drank ≥2 servings/week of wine had significantly decreased SLE risk (HR 0.65), compared to women who did not drink wine.

Citation: Barbhaiya M, Lu B, Sparks JA, Malspeis S, et al. Influence of alcohol consumption on the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus among women in the Nurses’ Health Study cohorts. [Published online ahead of print June 6, 2016]. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). doi:10.1002/acr.22945.