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Enjoy a before-dinner glass of Pinot Noir? How about a Cosmopolitan or Margarita on Friday and Saturday nights? Or perhaps you prefer a cold, frosty brew with dinner?

Either way, the findings of a new study may add even more happiness to your happy hour!

According to researchers, who collected data on over 34,000 women, moderate and regular consumption of wine, beer, or even liquor may reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in women.

Here’s the specifics on the study: Women who reported drinking over three glasses of wine, beer, or liquor per week had a 52 percent decreased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis compared to the women who abstained from drinking this much alcohol.

The type of drink the women drank had no difference on the RA risk.

The authors mentions that its unknown what the effects of higher consumption of alcohol has on rheumatoid arthritis. “We don’t know what happens with higher doses of alcohol,” she said. “And this is just one study showing what happened in Swedish women. So I don’t want to give advice about alcohol consumption,” said lead study author Daniela Di Giuseppe, who is also a doctoral student at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.

The results of this study are published in the British Medical Journal BMJ.

Doctor Headquarters (DrHQ.com) Editorial Staff  Copyright 2012 – All rights reserved

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