Mar 25, 2026
3 min read
A combination of small changes to sleep, diet and exercise can be important in reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke
New research shows that small improvements in sleep, diet quality and physical activity, done in combination, are associated with a reduced risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack and heart failure.The study followed more than 53,000 adults from the UK Biobank over eight years and found that modest improvements in three behaviors had clinically significant benefits.
Sleeping 11 more minutes, doing an extra 4.5 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and eating an extra quarter cup of vegetables were associated with a 10% reduction in major cardiovascular events.Moderate-to-vigorous activity can include everyday tasks such as climbing stairs, carrying shopping bags, or walking briskly.
The study found that the best combination of behaviors was getting eight to nine hours of sleep a night, getting at least 42 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise a day, and eating a healthy diet.This combination was associated with a 57% lower risk of cardiovascular events compared to those who were less healthy.
The article, titled "Combined Changes in Sleep, Physical Activity, and Nutrition and the Risk of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events," was published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
Dr Nicholas Comell, lead author and researcher at the University of Sydney, explained the importance of the study, saying: "We show that a combination of small changes in several areas of our lives can have a surprisingly large positive impact on our cardiovascular health. This is very encouraging news as making several small changes is likely to be more achievable and sustainable for larger behavioral changes in most people than a single attempt.
"Just a small change in our daily habits can have emotional consequences and pave the way for other long-term changes. I encourage people not to overlook the importance of making one or two small changes to your daily routine, no matter how small."
The study is the first to examine the minimum and optimal combinations of sleep, physical activity and nutrition required to significantly increase the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, heart failure and stroke.
The researchers used data from the UK Biobank sub-study, a cohort study of 502,629 adults aged 40-69 registered from 2006 to 2010.The amount of sleep and physical activity is measured using wearable devices.Food intake was measured using a single food frequency questionnaire, which allowed the researchers to calculate the amount of food.The best diet was to eat more vegetables, fruits, fish, milk, whole grains, and vegetable oils and eat less refined grains, processed meat, unprocessed red meat, and sugary drinks.
"We plan to build on these findings to develop new digital tools that support people to make positive lifestyle changes and establish sustainable healthy habits. This will involve working closely with members of the community to ensure that the tools are easy to use and can address the barriers we face when making changes to our daily habits," said Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, lead author of the study and a resident of the University ofthe University of Sydney and Professor of the University of Sydney.
The article states that, as an observational study, the study cannot establish a clear causal relationship between lifestyle and heart risk.Researchers say intervention trials are now needed to fully confirm these findings.
Sleep, exercise, and diet have been shown to have significant effects on cardiovascular disease risk, although their effects are often assessed individually or in pairs in research studies.results.
For example, lack of sleep interferes with the normal release of appetite hormones, which affects what you eat and makes you more likely to overeat. Physical activity improves the quality of sleep, but lack of sleep can reduce physical activity due to fatigue. The quality of your diet affects your sleep as well as the energy levels needed for physical activity.
Joint variation in sleep, physical activity and nutrition and the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, European Journal of Preventive Cardiology (2026). Academy.oup.com/eurjpc/articl….1093/eurjpc/zwag141
Journal information: European Journal of Preventive Cardiology
