Getting a little more sleep, moving slightly more, and eating a few extra vegetables each day could meaningfully reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, according to new research published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
The study followed more than 53,000 adults from the UK Biobank over an eight-year period and found that making even modest improvements across three behaviours had clinically meaningful benefits.
Researchers determined that just 11 more minutes of sleep a night, combined with 4.5 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and a quarter cup more of vegetables, was associated with a meaningful reduction in the risk of cardiovascular events. This combination was found to cut the risk of heart attacks, stroke, and heart failure by 10 per cent.
According to European Society of Cardiology, for those able to make larger changes, the benefits were even greater. The optimal combination involved sleeping eight to nine hours per night, completing more than 42 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day, and maintaining a good diet. This was associated with a 57 per cent lower risk of major cardiovascular events compared to people with the least healthy lifestyle profiles.
Researchers analysed sleep patterns and exercise levels using data from wearable devices such as smartwatches. Participants also self-reported their dietary habits. During the eight-year follow-up period, researchers recorded 2,034 major cardiovascular events.
The lead author of the study, Dr Nicholas Koemel, a research fellow at the University of Sydney, said combining small changes across different areas of daily life could have a surprisingly large positive impact on heart health, and that such incremental adjustments were more likely to be achievable and sustainable for most people than attempting a single major lifestyle overhaul.
Emily McGrath from the British Heart Foundation noted that people do not need to overhaul their lives overnight, adding that small changes in sleep, movement, and diet can genuinely improve heart health.
