diabetes 2

Drinking Alcohol Really Does Decreases the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Among Older Women
It is absurd. For the longest time
we have believed that alcohol has no real benefits. However
recently
a study has found that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol really does decreases the risk of Type 2 Diabetes
and this is especially true among Older Women! There are 20.8 million children and adults in the United States
or 7% of the population
who have diabetes. While an estimated 14.6 million have been diagnosed with diabetes
unfortunately
6.2
million people (or nearly one-third) are unaware that they have the disease.

Recent studies have shown that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol (as compared to drinking too much alcohol or no alcohol at all) can lower the chances of getting type 2 diabetes. However
only a few studies on alcohol and type 2 diabetes have included women
and very few have included older women.

Previous studies on the effects of drinking moderate amounts of alcohol (1-2 drinks) and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes have mostly been done on men or both men and women who were younger than 55 years old. The researchers wanted to study how drinking alcohol affects older women’s (more than 50 years old) chances of developing type 2 diabetes. (see Diabetes Symptoms)

Questionnaires were mailed to the women in the study. The women were asked where they lived and if they had conditions that put them at risk for any other diseases. Waist and hip
height
weight
and blood pressure measurements were taken at the beginning of the study. Diabetes
high blood pressure
and high cholesterol were also reported if these conditions were diagnosed by a doctor. The questionnaire asked about how much each woman exercised and how much they ate.

The questionnaire also contained questions about how much alcohol the women drank
how often they drank
and what types of alcohol they drank
both currently and in the past. The researchers sent out two follow-up questionnaires every 3 to 5 years. These questionnaires asked the women whether they developed type 2 diabetes
what year they were diagnosed
who diagnosed them
and whether they were being treated by diet
drugs
and/or insulin.

Conclusion
The researchers found that blood pressure was lower in the women who drank moderately
but it increased in women who drank more. During the study
a total of 760 new cases of diabetes were diagnosed. The research shows
however
that drinking alcohol in moderate amounts did lessen the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This is rather significant piece of news as we can now safely drink our favourite wine and not feel guilty about it!