A cohort study of idle-aged men in Finland, the Netherlands and Italy revealed a protective association between alcohol intake and risk of death from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD is the name given to conditions in which there is a progress inability to get adequate air into lungs.
This conditions include emphysema, where there is some loss of alveolar walls and an associated decrease in the elastic recoil of lung tissue, and chronic bronchitis with hyperplasia of pulmonary mucous glands.
The lower risk was seen at an intake of up to approximately three drinks per day. The anti-inflammatory effect of alcohol was suggested to explain these observations.
Alcohol intake has also been observed to manifest a protective association with emphysema in smokers.
COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and is the only one of the top 10 causes that is continuing to rise.
Alcohol and lung disease
