Drinking enough water during life could reduce the risk of developing heart failure.
Water
A new study has urged people to pay attention to how much fluid they consume every day and to "take action" if they are not drinking enough.
Experts measured 15,792 middle-aged participants' hydration status by looking at concentrations of sodium in their blood, which is a marker of how much water a person tends to take on board.
The individuals were then tracked over a period of 25 years to see whether they have developed certain heart conditions.
Every one millimole per litre increase in sodium concentration was linked to an 11 per cent greater chance of heart failure.
Dr. Natalia Dmitrieva, from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health in the US, said: "Our study suggests that maintaining good hydration can prevent or at least slow down the changes within the heart that lead to heart failure."