Small Sleep, Exercise and Diet Changes Linked to Lower Heart Risk

A study found that small combined gains in sleep, exercise and diet were linked to about 10% lower risk of major heart and stroke events.

Medicine

Details

A large study suggests that several small lifestyle improvements may add up to a meaningful difference in cardiovascular health. Researchers analyzed 53,242 adults in the UK Biobank, with a median age of 63, and followed them for about eight years. During that period, 2,034 major cardiovascular events were recorded, including heart attacks, strokes and heart failure. The researchers looked at sleep, moderate to vigorous physical activity and diet together rather than treating each behavior as completely separate. A combined change of about 11 extra minutes of sleep per day, 4.5 extra minutes of moderate to vigorous activity and a three point improvement in diet quality was associated with about 10% lower risk of major cardiovascular events. The study also identified a broader lifestyle pattern associated with the lowest observed risk: roughly 8.0 to 9.4 hours of sleep per day, 42 to 104 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity, and a relatively strong diet quality score. That combination was associated with 57% lower risk compared with the group in the lowest tertile for all three behaviors. The important detail is that these findings come from a prospective observational cohort, so the results show associations rather than proving that adding exactly 11 minutes of sleep will prevent a heart attack or stroke. The 11 minute figure also refers to a combined improvement across sleep, activity and diet, not to sleep alone. The research supports the broader idea that modest improvements across several everyday habits may be more practical than trying to make one dramatic lifestyle change.

More videos

Up nextThe Chimpanzee That Prepared Rocks for a Future Outburst