Alcohol consumption as a predictor of the progression of spinal structural damage in axial spondyloarthritis: data from the Catholic Axial Spondyloarthritis COhort (CASCO)

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the present study was to demonstrate whether alcohol consumption could predict spinal structural damage in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) in a prospective cohort study. METHODS: AxSpA patients were enrolled from a single tertiary hospital in a prospective cohort. Baseline data were collected, and 2-year follow-up radiographic data were collected. We analyzed the progression of spinal structural damage in 278 axSpA patients and grouped them into alcohol drinkers and non-drinkers. Baseline and follow-up characteristics were compared between the two groups. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to reveal predictors of spinal structural damage. RESULTS: Changes in modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spinal Score (mSASSS) and syndesmophyte count over the 2-year period were more prominent in the alcohol drinker group than in the non-drinker group (2.7 ± 3.6 vs 1.5 ± 2.8, P = 0.007, 0.9 ± 1.3 vs 0.4 ± 1.2, P = 0.003). The alcohol drinker group showed more frequent significant mSASSS changes (≥ 2 units for 2 years follow-up) and new syndesmophyte/progression of pre-existing syndesmophytes than the non-drinker group (60.7% vs 29.2%, P < 0.001, 51.5% vs 26.4%, P < 0.001, respectively). On univariable and multivariable regression analyses, drinking alcohol showed a significant relationship with the progression of spinal structural damage for both mSASSS and syndesmophyte progression. CONCLUSION: The present study showed the association between alcohol consumption and spinal structural progression in axSpA patients for the first time. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s13075-019-1970-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.