Researchers, from Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago, showed in their previous study that large amounts of alcohol to rats caused considerable decrease in their bone density and strength.

In the new study, the researchers injected rats with such large amount of alcohol as equivalent to excessive drinking for three days or chronic alcohol abuse for four weeks in humans. The researchers looked at the genes responsible for bone health and they found that alcohol affected the amounts of RNA related to these bones.

Alcohol became the cause to increase the amount of RNA linked with some genes and decrease the amount of RNA linked with other genes.

The study has been published in the recent issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research and it may help in the development of new drugs to reduce bone loss in alcohol abusers. These drugs may also prove helpful for people at risk for osteoporosis.

Study co-author John Callaci, who is a bone biologist and assistant professor in the department of orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation, says in a Loyola news release: “Not to drink or moderately is, indeed, the best way to prevent alcohol-induced bone loss. However, some other strategies are required to limit the damage when prevention doesn’t seem to work.”