A month off alcohol could make a lifetime of difference

Patients who gave up for four weeks saw benefits for liver function, blood pressure and cholesterol levels and were also at lower risk of developing diabetes and liver disease, them University College London found.

Those who took part in the month of abstinence also lost weight and reported improvements in concentration and sleeping.

Study co-author Professor Kevin Moore said: “If you took a drug that reduced blood pressure and improved cholesterol and insulin resistance it would be a blockbuster drug that would be worth billions.”