Drinking alcohol may not provide cardiovascular health benefits, contrary to what was previously believed. A new multi-center study, which was co-led by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, suggests that cutting down on the amount of alcohol consumed may help to improve cardiovascular health.

The new research results apply to those who drink lightly to moderately as well as to heavier drinkers. According to researchers, drinking less alcohol may not only help to improve heart health, it could also cut down on an individual’s risk for coronary heart disease in addition to a lower body mass index and blood pressure.

Michael Holmes, MD, PhD, co-lead author, research assistant professor in the department of Transplant Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, said in a statement, “These new results are critically important to our understanding of how alcohol affects heart disease. Contrary to what earlier reports have shown, it now appears that any exposure to alcohol has a negative impact upon heart health.”

He continued, “For some time, observational studies have suggested that only heavy drinking was detrimental to cardiovascular health, and that light consumption may actually be beneficial. This has led some people to drink moderately based on the belief that it would lower their risk of heart disease. However, what we’re seeing with this new study, which uses an investigative approach similar to a randomized clinical trial, is that reduced consumption of alcohol, even for light-to-moderate drinkers, may lead to improved cardiovascular health.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one out of every four deaths among U.S. citizens is due to heart disease.