London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

New research published in the European Heart Journal states that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol is linked to reduced risk of heart failure.

Commenting on the findings, David Leon, Professor of Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: "This study makes a small additional contribution to the evidence that light drinkers may suffer less from heart failure later in life than people who have never drunk alcohol.

"However, the authors point out that as the amount people drink goes up so does their overall risk of death. So while this study may be of interest to scientists studying how alcohol affects the heart, overall it is consistent with the emerging consensus that any level of drinking carries risks, and that the more you drink the higher the probability of dying prematurely from something.

"The findings of this study would be misunderstood if for health reasons they encouraged non-drinkers to take up drinking, or for occasional drinkers to drink more regularly."