The oft-cited maxim that a daily glass of wine can help stave off cardiovascular disease (CVD) may only be true when matched with physical exercise, according to a new study presented at a health conference in Spain.

Ever since the early 1990s, evidence has been put forward to further the argument that moderate consumption of red and white wine can help increase levels of productive HDL cholesterol and reduce markers of atherosclerosis, the clogging of arteries through fatty deposits.

This latest piece of research has sought to directly observe the relation between red and white wine on markers of atherosclerosis over a long-term period.

The study included 146 people with mild to moderate risk of cardiovascular disease.

The participants were randomised and split into two groups, with one set asked to consume a glass of Pinot Noir red wine up to five times a week for a year, while the other group was asked to perform the same routine with a white Chardonnay-Pinot.

The wines themselves were taken from the same year and wine region of the Czech Republic.

The wine drinkers were then asked to keep a logbook for the year, where they would record their consumption of wine, other alcoholic beverages, medication use and the amount and type of exercise they did.

After 12 months, researchers found that the positive HDL cholesterol levels across both groups had remained relatively similar over the year, regardless of which wine was consumed.

However, LDL cholesterol was lower in both groups after one year, while total cholesterol was lower in the red wine group only.

"A rise in HDL cholesterol is the main indication of a protective effect against CVD, therefore we can conclude that neither red or white wine had any impact on study participants as a whole," said study leader Professor Milos Taborsky.

"The only positive and continuous result was in the subgroup of patients who took more exercise, which means regular exercise at least twice a week, plus the wine consumption.

“In this group HDL cholesterol increased and LDL and total cholesterol decreased in the red and white wine groups. There may be some synergy between the low dose of ethyl alcohol in wine and exercise, which is protective against CVD."