(Image Source: The Telegraph)

BY JENNIFER LONG

For years doctors have said raise your glass to a healthy heart. But a new study could have many women thinking twice before they have a drink. Fox News explains the sobering study’s finds.

“Women who have as few as three alcoholic beverages a week may have a greater risk of getting breast cancer, that’s according to a new study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study found that women who drank between 3 and 6 drinks per week had a 15% greater risk of developing breast cancer."

Researchers at Harvard conducted this 28-year study that included more than 100,000 women. It’s the first study to assess the effects small amounts of alcohol have over a long period of time. But doctors are saying this risk may not be the biggest concern. Dr. Rachel Simmons breaks down the stats on the Today show.

“We need to understand when you talk about the risk of breast cancer, the lifetime risk for the average woman is about 10 percent. Increasing that by 15% takes you to maybe about a 12% lifetime risk of breast cancer... Now compare that to women that have a very strong family history who could be in the 85% lifetime risk of developing cancer. So I really think it isn’t as significant as it may sound in comparison to other risk factors.”

And what about all those studies that said a glass of red wine can actually be good for you? Are women now forced to decide between their hearts and their breasts? Dr. Sanjay Gupta tells CNN that this new study might not change much.

“It’s not saying you’re going to get cancer if you’re a drinker it just increases the risk and it is potentially good for your heart ... It can increase your good cholesterol, it can decrease the formation of clots and so even the American Cancer Society says we’re not ready to change our recommendations, we still think there are some potential benefits to drinking lightly, less than three drinks per week.”

If you’re still wondering whether the drink is worth the risk, Dr. Richard Besser tells ABC that you might just have to ask the question - what’s the lesser of the two evils?

“And you have to remember one in three women are going to die from heard disease. Only one in 36 are going to die from breast cancer. So it may be worth continuing to have that drink. If you don’t have that increased breast cancer risk.”

Researchers who conducted the study say there’s no absolute answer for whether a woman should change her drinking habits. Dr. Wendy Chen of the Harvard Medical School tells the Washington Post...

“If you are someone with a family history of breast cancer but are healthy, at a good weight, exercise regularly, have a healthy diet and don’t have a risk for heart disease, then you may make one decision... Another woman who has some cardiovascular risk factors and no history of breast cancer may make a different decision.”

Transcript by Newsy.