It’s the small changes that matter - just 11 minutes more sleep may cut heart attack risk, new study finds

A new study has looked at how the right combination of sleep, exercise, and nutrition can have a significant impact on our risk of serious health problems, such as heart attack, heart failure, and stroke.

The research, conducted by experts from Australia, Chile and Brazil and published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, followed more than 53,000 adults from the UK Biobank study over eight years. It found that even small changes can cause real improvements in health outcomes. These include sleeping just 11 minutes longer each night, eating 50g more vegetables every day, and adding 4.5 minutes of exercise to your daily routine. The team found that this combination of daily habits can lead to a 10% reduction in major cardiovascular events.

The experts looked at sleep and exercise data from wearable devices, and participants self-reported what they ate. Over the eight years, 2,034 major cardiovascular events were recorded among participants. However, the researchers found that even “modest differences” in the three combined habits “were associated with meaningful reductions” in risk of these events.

The researchers found that sleeping for eight to nine hours a night, doing a minimum of 42 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per day, and eating a balanced diet were associated with a 57% lower risk of major cardiovascular events, compared to people who led less healthy lifestyles.

NHS guidelines suggest you should do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity a week. Moderate exercise includes cycling, brisk walking, swimming, dancing or gardening. Vigorous exercise includes running and racket sports.

“Making even modest shifts in our daily routines is likely to have cardiovascular benefits as well as create opportunities for further changes in the long run. I would encourage people not to overlook the importance of making a small change or two to your daily routine, no matter how small they may seem,” says Dr Nicholas Koemel, the lead author and research fellow at the University of Sydney.

The paper notes that this was an observational study, so cause and effect can’t be definitely established, but it’s further proof that tiny tweaks can go a long way to protecting our health, for longer.

The reason this combination is so effective at improving our health is that the three behaviours are all so closely linked. For example, if we don’t get enough core sleep, we might make poor food decisions the next day or feel too tired to exercise. If we eat badly, it affects our energy levels, so we don’t want to move our bodies and may not sleep well. This study is unique as it looks at the bidirectional impacts they all have on each other.

How to make small changes to your health

• Diet: Putting 50g more vegetables on your plate each day isn’t hard. It could be adding a carrot, spinach or avocado to a morning smoothie or eating some raw vegetables as a mid-morning snack. Loading up your lunch and dinner plate with extra vegetables will help boost your fibre and nutrient intake, improve your gut health, and give you energy for the day.
• Exercise: If you’re busy and don’t have time in your day to do more exercise, you could focus on increasing your step count instead. This could involve walking to the station instead of taking a bus, going for a lunchtime stroll around the block or walking on a walking pad at home. The minutes will easily start to add up, and this is great for your cardiovascular and mental health.
• Sleep: Going to bed and waking up at the same time every time is a key way to ensure you improve your sleep habits and don’t feel overtired the next day. Try to avoid using your phone in bed, and wind down with a book or do some breathing exercises.