Alcohol Abuse Increases The Risk Of Suffering From Pneumonia

The results of a paper published in the journal Chest (1) show that alcoholic and ex-alcoholic individuals have a higher risk of suffering from community acquired pneumonia. Although mortality did not differ significantly, an increase of the severeness of the disease was shown, and consequently, an increase of the morbidity and the complications was revealed. This study was conducted by the Pneumonia Multidiscipline Group of Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, led by Dr. Antoni Torres, from the Institut Clinic del Torax, and leader of the IDIBAPS Group Management and Prevention of the Pulmonary Disease.


The increase of the risk of suffering from pneumonia in alcoholic patients exists due to the fact that the activity of their immune system decreases. This decrease not only is observed in alcoholic, but also in ex alcoholic patients. The daily quantity of alcohol consumption in order to include patients in the group of alcohol abuse was of 80 g in man and 60 g in women, the equivalent of 2 or 3 beers and 3 or 4 cups of wine.


Results are especially relevant since alcohol is the more abused drug in Spain, and causes a total of 12,000 deaths every year. In addition, pneumonia is a very frequent disease, with 10 patients every 1,000 inhabitants in Catalonia. This number is much higher if we take into account in the population over 65. This is the reason why the consequences of this study, and the possible vaccination of alcoholic of ex-alcoholic individuals against Pneumococcus, would affect a very high number of people. Alcohol consumption could turn into a new risk factor or a worsening factor to take into account in cases of community acquired pneumonia.


About the INSTITUT D'INVESTIGACIONS BIOMEDIQUES AUGUST PI I SUNYER


Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), founded in 1993, is a research centre formed by the Generalitat de Catalunya's Ministry of Universities, Research and the Information Society (DURSI), the University of Barcelona's Faculty of Medicine, the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona and the Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques de Barcelona of the Council for Scientific Research (IIBB-CSIC). IDIBAPS's fundamental objective is to integrate quality clinical research and high level basic research. This way we achieve a more effective transfer of scientific breakthroughs in the prevention and treatment of the most common health problems in Spain. Furthermore, with a spirit of collaboration, IDIBAPS is immersed in projects like Barcelona Biomedical Alliance (BBA) and the Catalan Association of Research Institutions (Associacie Catalana d'Entitats de Recerca). These enterprises, supported by DURSI and the Science and Technology Ministry of Spain will turn Catalunya and Barcelona into an important international pole of biomedicine. On the other hand, IDIBAPS is highly involved in the development of the national network of cooperative research financed by the Health Ministry. Their researchers participate in a total of 37 networks of groups and centres, and they coordinate five of them.


INSTITUT D'INVESTIGACIONS BIOMEDIQUES AUGUST PI I SUNYER

Hospital Clinic de Barcelona

C/ Villarroel 170; Escala 1, Planta 1, Porta 1C


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