All participants(between 43 and 86 years of age) in the latter study were checked for renal function and alcohol consumption, both at the beginning and at the end of the study.

By combining the results of the two studies a clear relation was found between chronic kidney failure and smoking on the one hand and heavy drinking in the other. However, the most striking result was observed among persons who smoked as well as drinking to excess: they appeared to be five times more likely to suffer from kidney problems than persons who neither drink nor smoke.

The researchers suggest by way of possible explanation that high alcohol concentration can potentiate the harmful effect of tobacco on the kidney tissue. It is also possible that alcohol has a direct toxic effect on the cells of the kidney tissue, or that alcohol damages the cells via the secondary effect of the increased blood pressure resulting from the excess alcohol.

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