There are several factors that influence the risk of a heart attack, stroke or heart failure, and many of them involve lifestyle choices that we can do something about.
Sleep, nutrition and physical activity – this is where the secret lies, as confirmed by a large study last week in European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
Led by a team at the University of Sydney, the researchers behind the study wanted to look at how these three factors together affect cardiovascular health.
Based on an analysis of 53,242 participants with an average age of 63, the data showed that adding 11 more minutes of sleep, 4.5 more minutes of physical activity of moderate to vigorous intensity and another quarter cup of vegetables per day was associated with a 10 percent reduction over eight years in the risk of serious cardiovascular events, including heart attacks, strokes and heart failure.
Although the study cannot prove cause and effect, the data indicated a positive correlation between these three behaviors and a lower overall risk – further evidence that a healthier life can start with some relatively small changes.
As detailed by , data for the study was collected through the use of wearable devices (for sleep and activity) and questionnaires (for food).
The researchers took into account numerous other influential risk factors, including age, gender, and smoking and alcohol consumption habits.
What to do?
The ideal combination was 8 to 9 hours of sleep per night, 42 minutes or more of physical activity of moderate to vigorous intensity per day and a score of moderate food quality.
This combination was associated with a 57 percent reduction at events severe cardiovascular disease over the eight years of follow-up of patients, compared to the less ideal health profile in the study.
Moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity is something like brisk walking, climbing a flight of stairs, or carrying groceries.
Diet quality, in turn, was classified based on a higher intake of fruit, vegetables, fish and whole grainsand lower amounts of processed meats and sugary drinks.
But our health is complex, and three factors (sleep, exercise and nutrition) also influence each other. For example, better exercise can mean better sleep.
Cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of death worldwide, and experts continue to discover more about the contributing and risk factors involved.
There is an urgent need to better understand how major cardiovascular events are triggered and how we may be able to predict them with greater accuracy in the future – warns Science Alert.
We live in times where many of the warning signs can be detected early and there are now many Practical ways to minimize risk to heart health. Even small changes can be helpful.
