Getting just 11 minutes more sleep each night, doing an extra 4.5 minutes of brisk walking, and eating an additional 50g of vegetables daily can reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke by about 10%, according to a new study.
Researchers from Australia, Chile and Brazil analysed data from more than 53,000 middle-aged UK adults in the Biobank study. They used wearable technology to measure sleep and exercise, while participants self-reported their diet. Over an eight-year follow-up, 2,034 major cardiovascular events occurred.
The study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, identified an 'optimal' combination of behaviours – eight to nine hours of sleep, at least 42 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity daily, and a good diet – that led to a 57% lower risk. But even small, combined changes produced a 'clinically relevant' reduction of about 10%.
Lead author Dr Nicholas Koemel, from the University of Sydney, said: 'We show that combining small changes in a few areas of our lives can have a surprisingly large positive impact on our cardiovascular health. Making even modest shifts in our daily routines is likely to have cardiovascular benefits.'
Emily McGrath, a senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, commented: 'Small tweaks – like getting a little more sleep, adding a few extra minutes of activity, or eating a bit more veg – can work together to have a meaningful positive impact on your heart health.'
