Moderate drinkers are 40-45 percent less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than nondrinkers or infrequent drinkers, while the risk of developing the disease appears to be cut in half or more among heavier drinkers, according to Swedish researchers.

AFP reported June 4 that a study from researcher Henrik Kaellberg of the Institute of Environmental Medicine at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and colleagues also found that the protective effects of alcohol consumption were seen among smokers who were genetically predisposed to developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Researchers noted that other studies show that alcohol inhibits inflammation that can cause heart disease, which may also explain its protective effect against arthritis.

The study appears in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.