Alcohol may cut risk of arthritis

DRINKING alcohol may cut the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and make symptoms less severe, research suggests.

People who never drink have around a fourfold greater risk of developing the condition as those who drink alcohol on 10 or more days a month, according to the study on more than 800 RA sufferers and 1,000 healthy people.

Among those who already have the condition, the progression of the disease is less severe if they drink, experts found.