Boston: Drinking 14 glasses of wine or more a week gives you a healthier heart, according to researchers from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

A ten-year study of 4,400 men and women aged 65 and over discovered that the amount of alcohol consumed was linked to heart health.

Those who had between one and six drinks a week were 7 per cent less likely to have a problem that those who didn’t drink at all. For those who consumed seven to thirteen drink a week, the risk dropped by 20 per cent, and for those having 14 or more drinks the risk dropped by about 40 per cent.

The researchers said the results indicated that those who drank more had the lowest risk of coronary heart disease but warned that more research was needed.

The health benefits of wine have not been fully explored and it is not known whether it is the anti-oxidants or the blood-thinning effects of alcohol which are beneficial.