Some alcohol may reduce transplants' risk

DENVER, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Moderate alcohol consumption has been linked to lowered death rates in kidney transplant patients, a Dutch researcher says.

Dorien Zelle of the University Medical Center Groningen, Netherlands, found moderate alcohol drinkers were 67 percent less likely to develop diabetes than other types of drinkers/non-drinkers. Zelle and colleagues tracked these patients for seven years and found the moderate alcohol drinkers were 44 percent less likely to die than other types of drinkers/non-drinkers.

"Quality of life in renal transplant recipients is under pressure by many threats, restrictions and recommendations," Zelle said in a statement. "Our results indicate that one of the restraints on quality of life in stable renal transplant recipients may be released. There seems no reason to advise renal transplant recipients to abstain from alcohol post-transplant."

Zelle and colleagues looked at 600 renal transplant recipients who had their transplant more than one year before and followed them for several years post-transplant. Of these, 48 percent were abstainers, 16 percent were sporadic drinkers, 35 percent had moderate alcohol intake and 1 percent were heavy drinkers.

The study findings were presented in Denver at the American Society of Nephrology's Renal Week.