A study has found that small changes in daily habits, such as sleeping for an extra 11 minutes, doing 4.5 additional minutes of brisk walking, and eating about 50g more vegetables, can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke by approximately 10%. The research, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, was conducted by experts from Australia, Chile, and Brazil, who analysed data from over 53,000 middle-aged UK adults in the Biobank study.
The researchers used wearable technology like smartwatches to track sleep and exercise, while diet was self-reported. Over an eight-year follow-up period, 2,034 major cardiovascular events occurred. The team identified an 'optimal' combination of behaviours—eight to nine hours of sleep, at least 42 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily, and a good diet—that was associated with a 57% lower risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Dr Nicholas Koemel, lead author and research fellow at 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. This is very encouraging news because making a few small, combined changes is likely more achievable and sustainable for most people.'
Emily McGrath, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, commented: 'Small tweaks – like getting a little more sleep, adding a few extra minutes of activity to your day or eating a bit more veg – can work together to have a meaningful positive impact on your heart health.'
