Sleep: 11 More Minutes a Night May Reduce Heart Attack Risk

A study of more than 53,000 people monitored over eight years found that adding about 11 minutes of sleep nightly, plus small increases in activity and vegetable intake, was associated with an estimated 10% lower risk of heart failure, heart attack, and stroke.

A recent study reported that small, combined shifts in daily habits were associated with lower rates of major cardiovascular events. Researchers used wearable monitors to track more than 53,000 people over an eight-year period. They reported that adding about 11 minutes of sleep a night, alongside modest increases in physical activity and vegetable intake, correlated with fewer heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure cases. The study was published in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology. Key findings: - The analysis used wearable monitor data from over 53,000 participants tracked for eight years. - The incremental changes examined were roughly 11 more minutes of sleep per night, an additional 4.5 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and an extra quarter-cup of vegetables per day. - These combined changes were associated with about a 10% lower risk of heart failure, heart attack, and stroke in the study population. - Lead author Dr. Nicholas Koemel said the cumulative effect of modest changes across behaviors can have a sizable positive impact and may be more achievable than major change in a single behavior. - The authors noted the study cannot establish a definitive causal relationship and indicated that more evidence is needed to confirm the findings. Summary: The study’s results indicate that modest, combined lifestyle shifts were associated with a measurable reduction in cardiovascular events within this cohort. The research team emphasized that the findings are observational and do not prove causation, and they called for further research to determine whether the observed associations reflect direct effects.