Consuming milk can increase the risk of a heart attack for around half of the population, a new study has suggested.

The study conducted by experts at Uppsala University in Sweden found that consuming 400ml of milk each day, about two-thirds of a pint, was linked to a five percent higher risk of coronary heart disease.

According to scientists, high lactose content in cow’s milk can cause harmful inflammation and cellular damage, accelerating heart aging.

The study was performed on 101,000 people to understand the impact of milk on each person.

It was discovered that the risk mostly impacted the women and men do not seem to suffer the same effect.

Heart attack is one of the most common causes of death in Britain with about 2.3 million suffering from it.

In the UK, people drink an average of 1.2 liters of milk per week – or roughly 171ml per day – which is less than the amounts associated with increased risk in the study.

This study suggests that higher milk consumption may be linked to an increased risk of heart disease in women.

It specifically found that women who drank 600ml of milk per day had a 12 percent higher risk of heart-related issues. For those drinking 800ml per day, the risk increased to 21 percent.

However, milk consumption patterns can vary greatly depending on individual habits.

For instance, large coffees from high-street coffee shops, like lattes or cappuccinos, often contain up to a pint (around 568ml) of milk in a single serving. This is already close to the 600ml threshold associated with a 12 percent increase in heart risk.

The researchers said swapping some milk in your diet with yoghurt would be healthier.

Writing in the journal BMC Medicine, study author Professor Karl Michaëlsson said: “A healthy diet is essential for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

“Our analysis supports an association between milk intake higher than 300ml per day and higher rates of ischaemic heart disease, and myocardial infarction [heart attack] specifically, in women, but not in men.

“The higher risk in women was evident irrespective of the fat content of the milk.

“Replacing non-fermented milk with moderate fermented milk intake could lower the risks.”