All Heels: The Sex and the City cast (from left) Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon and Sarah Jessica Parker.

New research will bring joy to the hearts of Sex and the City’s Carrie and Charlotte, and shoe-loving women everywhere — high heels may actually help their wearers avoid painful knee conditions.

Fears that stilettos could lead to knee arthritis are unfounded, according to researchers at Warwick University who say three-inch heels reduce the risks of joint problems.

Professor Margaret Thorogood, from the university’s medical school, said high heels did not cause knee problems but being overweight before 40, doing demanding physical work and previous knee injuries did.

In fact, there was a link between regular dancing in three-inch heels and a reduced risk of knee problems.