London:People who have an active lifestyle and consume alcohol moderately may have a longer life span, suggests a new Danish study.
The study by a team of researchers from Copenhagen''s National Institute of Public Health followed nearly 12,000 men and women for nearly 20 years.
They found that people who did not drink alcohol or do any exercise had 49 percent higher risk of developing heart disease than the people who either drank or exercised or did both, reported the online edition of BBC News.
Past research has suggested that moderate alcohol consumption may decrease the risk of heart disease by increasing the levels of ''good'' cholesterol and possibly thinning the blood.
However, scientists warned that drinking too much alcohol could have adverse affects.
Alcohol is a depressant whereas exercise releases mood-enhancing hormones that can improve the quality of life as well as reduce the risk of death.