The National Institute of Public Health in Denmark has just completed a nine year study of the drinking habits of nearly 6,000 women aged 20–29, none of whom suffered from allergic rhinitis (AR) at the start of the study. Nine years later 831 (14%) women had developed seasonal AR and 523 (9%) had developed perennial AR and it appeared that the more the women drank, the more likely they were to get AR. For example, women who reported drinking more than 14 drinks a week were 78% more likely to develop AR than women who only had one drink a week.

‘It should be recognised,’ said lead researcher Dr Janne Tolstrup, ‘that there is evidence to suggest that women may be more susceptible to some of the genetically harmful effects of alcohol than men, perhaps due to differences in fat to water ratio or liver mass to body weight ratio.’

The study was published in the July issue of Clinical and Experimental Allergy. Read more about allergens in wine

More research reports on alcohol

First Published October 2008

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