The Research on COPD and Alcohol

There have been several studies looking at the effects of drinking wine on lung function in patients with COPD, says Brian W. Carlin, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at Drexel University School of Medicine in Philadelphia and immediate past chairman of the COPD Alliance. Those who drank a moderate amount of wine had higher lung volumes and had a lower risk of airway obstruction.

Specifically, researchers in one recent study looked at lifestyle and medical history questionnaires answered by more than 100,000 members of Kaiser Permanente during a seven-year period and compared hospitalization rates among alcohol drinkers and non-drinkers. People who reported drinking one to two alcoholic beverages a day were about 25 percent less likely to have been hospitalized. The researchers found the biggest benefit among people who drank wine but no difference between those who preferred red or white.

Other studies about COPD and alcohol have tried to understand how wine may help, suggesting, for instance, that the antioxidants in red wine resveratrol in particular might help stave off progression of the condition. Proposed mechanisms include the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant effects, and immune stimulation effects that occur secondary to resveratrol," explains Dr. Carlin. "There may be other components present in the wine itself that may be related to such effects as well.

But right now all experts have are theories. More research is needed to understand the connection between COPD and alcohol.

Should You Drink Alcohol to Help COPD?

Though research surrounding alcohol consumption and COPD is interesting, it's far from definitive no reason for non-drinkers to start imbibing. People who already enjoy a glass or two of wine a day may continue if their doctors say its alright. Keep in mind alcohol consumption carries a number of risks, including possible interaction with medications, the risk for direct toxicity to the lungs or bronchial tubes, and perhaps even an increased risk for lung infections.

Research has barely scratched the surface of this topic, and any conclusion made by a medical doctor regarding alcohol for lung health is still premature as of 2012, says James Burrows, MD, a pulmonologist from Mission Community Hospital in Panorama City, Calif. The conclusions of articles stating that alcohol improves lung function and/or reduces likelihood of hospitalizations years later is food for thought, not recommended policy for physicians."

The bottom line? Your doctor probably wont be telling you to hit the bottle for your lung health just yet.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/copd/should-you-raise-a-glass-to-better-lungs.aspx

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