Drink to better health

YOU may feel a guilty twinge if you indulge in a glass of wine or two a couple of times a week. But your drinking habits may boost your heart health, if you are middle class.

A study has found alcohol can protect against heart disease, with the middle class and wealthy benefiting most.

People who drink a moderate amount two to three times a week had a lower risk of dying from heart attacks or strokes than less frequent drinkers.

While all moderate drinkers benefited, the protective effect was greatest among wealthy people. Very frequent alcohol intake, defined as drinking four to seven times a week, increased the risk of death from heart disease only among the poorest members of society.