Fondness for alcohol may predispose an individual to contracting pneumonia.
The aim of this study was to determine whether an association exists between alcohol intake and the likelihood of having community-acquired pneumonia. Researchers systematically assessed data from 17 scientific publications that examined alcohol consumption as a risk factor for pneumonia.
Researchers observed that alcohol consumers had higher rates of pneumonia than their peers who avoided taking alcohol. The findings of this study reveal that alcohol drinking may push up an individual's risk of contracting community-acquired pneumonia.