Adults who consume large amounts of alcohol were found to have less nitric oxide in their exhaled breath compared to those who consumed less alcohol.
Nitric oxide is responsible for protecting the lungs from harmful bacteria, revealing that patients with higher alcohol intake could be more at risk of developing respiratory infections.
Loyola researchers examined data from 12,059 adults who participated in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) questionnaires between 2007 and 2012, grouping participants based upon their levels of alcohol intake as never drinkers, nonexcessive drinkers, excessive drinkers, and former excessive drinkers.
Researchers accounted for variables such as asthma, smoking, diet, demographics and other factors, and found that excessive alcohol consumption comprised 3,693 (26.9%) of the US sample population, and was the most significant factor differentiating participants that exhibited lower levels of nitric oxide in their exhaled breath.
The presence of high levels of nitric oxide in breath tests is typically a good indicator of the effectiveness of asthma medication; in light of the results, Dr Afshar, a lead member of the research team, urges clinicians to consider that high alcohol consumption may complicate the results of such tests.