Now that Christmas and New Year are over...

[helvella]

It might be safe to post this now that the biggest drinking occasions of the year are out of the way for eleven months or so.

I guess thyroid information needs to be added to open sandwiches, butter, bacon and Sarah Lund as "things from Denmark". [Added 03/01/2013 21:19 - Carlsberg and Tuborg lagers, Central heating components (Grundfos & Danfoss), Lego, Herring, Wind turbines, Bang & Olufsen hifi, Velux roof windows, Anthon Berg chocolates, Haribo sweets, and, as prompted, Danish Pastries. ]

Eur J Endocrinol. 2012 Oct;167(4):483-90. doi: 10.1530/EJE-12-0356. Epub 2012 Jul 16.

Moderate alcohol consumption may protect against overt autoimmune hypothyroidism: a population-based case-control study.

Carlé A, Pedersen IB, Knudsen N, Perrild H, Ovesen L, Rasmussen LB, Jørgensen T, Laurberg P.

Source

Department of Endocrinology and Medicine, Aalborg Hospital, Aarhus University Hospital, DK-9000 Aalborg, Denmark. [e-mail]

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Alcohol consumption is an important protective risk factor for many autoimmune diseases. We wished to study the association between alcohol consumption and autoimmune hypothyroidism.

DESIGN:

Population-based, case-control study, 1997-2001, Denmark.

METHODS:

Patients with newly diagnosed autoimmune overt hypothyroidism (n=140) were prospectively identified in a population (2 027 208 person-years of observation), and their matched controls with normal thyroid function (n=560) were recruited simultaneously from the same population. Participants gave information on alcohol intake, smoking, previous diseases, education, and family history of hypothyroidism. The association between alcohol intake and development of hypothyroidism was analyzed in conditional regression models.

RESULTS:

Hypothyroid cases had reported a lower alcohol consumption than controls (median units of alcohol (12 g) per week: 3 vs 5, P=0.002). In a multivariate regression model, alcohol consumption was associated with a reduction in risk for development of overt autoimmune hypothyroidism. Odds ratios (95% confidence interval) compared with the reference group with a recent (last year) consumption of 1-10 units of alcohol per week were as follows: 0 units/week, 1.98 (1.21-3.33); 11-20 units/week, 0.41 (0.20-0.83); and =21 units/week, 0.90 (0.41-2.00). Similar results were found for maximum previous alcohol consumption during a calendar year. No interaction was found with type of alcohol consumed (wine vs beer), sex, or region of inhabitancy.

CONCLUSIONS:

Alcohol consumption seems to confer considerable protection against development of overt autoimmune hypothyroidism irrespective of sex and type of alcohol consumed.

PMID:

22802427

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/228...

Remember - the important word is not "alcohol" but "moderate"!

Sláinte (or should that be Skål?)

Rod

Picture is of bottles and was, apparently (and believably), taken while the person was drunk./ :

[ejh1]

Interesting, and obviously haven't read the full paper, but could it be due to the fact that we don't feel so well and therefore don't feel like drinking - even before the disease fully develops?

Emma

[Hidden]

Damn! I'll need to start drinking again

(ps you forgot pastries in things from Denmark)

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Hidden]

Enhanced list of Danish imports...

[Hidden in reply to helvella]

Hahaha

[Clarebear]

Oh dear - one of my new year's resolutions was to give up alcohol for the whole of January It's only day 3 and I am missing my evening glass of wine already... Perhaps I need to restart for health reasons

[PinkNinja in reply to Clarebear]

Don't worry Clarebear; I'll drink it for you

[Hidden in reply to PinkNinja]

lol x

[Hidden]

I wonder what that means for drinking whilst pregnant!!?? Perhaps a daily glass of wine will in future be encouraged for mothers-to-be in order to ward off auto-immune diseases for their baby? Hmmm! x x

[Hidden]

As mentioned by ejh1, they appear not to take into account that some thyroid patients do not tolerate alcohol very well.

Correlation, but maybe because of a different reason.

I therefore find their conclusion is based on incomplete research to be honest. But hey, what's new? *rolling eye smiley*

koala

[jude44]

ohhh! so I can start drinking rose wine again problem is one glass knocks me out.

Chrismas was hot water and more hot water couldn't even take coffee or tea but hey it's the new year. Happy New Year everyone.

Jude

[Hidden]

Like! Now where did I put that bottle of red... ?!

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Hidden]

See - hypo affects memory.

[Hidden in reply to helvella]

Haha yup, my brain's completely addled. We'll have to start taking it as memory medicine!

[Hidden]

I haven't read the paper, but I wonder whether the study has taken into account the fact that hypothyroid people sometimes avoid alcohol as it doesn't agree with them... And, as hypo creeps up on people a lot of the time, they may have already been hypo during the year the data is taken from. So are they just reporting that hypothyroid patients drink less than healthy people? But hey, why am I being critical of this study?! I love the outcome!!!

[Hidden]

Interesting - of course drinking is a Danish tradition - Skål! They seem to be rather 'open' to other naughty stuff too. Of course, I try & visit my best friend regularly (mental nurse) lol!

you forgot the salty liquorice & pork scratchings Rod. And the fact that they might be fibbing! open minded but very proud.

[unrelated] Funnily enough tonight my brother said they had the highest suicide rate - rubbish according to Wiki & me! (the former, as you say, is not always accurate as ordinary folks have a say). however they make fish oil in abundance and realise the importance of sunshine - I've never seen such a huge pile of Vit D supplements as I did in Matas (Danish 'Boots').

Sadly 40% tax is the norm, so it's a tad expensive to live there. (mind you house prices aren't bad with communal hot water for starters, near the coast, a lot of Danes have a summer house too).

I wonder what the Cholesterol rates are with all that porky stuff and REAL butter! Sadly no Marmite allowed J

[missdove]

I feel crap either way...But sometimes a drink does numb the pain of this wretched illness! So cheers!!!!!!!!!