A new study has found that small daily lifestyle changes like sleeping 11 minutes longer, doing 4.5 extra minutes of brisk walking, and eating an additional 50 grams of vegetables can significantly reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Researchers from Australia, Chile, and Brazil analysed data from over 53,000 middle-aged UK adults in the Biobank study. Using wearable devices and self-reported diet records, they tracked participants’ sleep, activity, and eating habits over eight years.
The study found that combining modest improvements in sleep, physical activity, and diet could reduce major cardiovascular events by up to 57%. Experts emphasised that small, achievable changes are easier to maintain than drastic lifestyle overhauls.
Dr Nicholas Koemel, lead author, said, “Even modest shifts in our daily routines can have a surprisingly large impact on cardiovascular health.” Prof Emmanuel Stamatakis added that the team plans to develop digital tools to help people adopt sustainable healthy habits.
Emily McGrath of the British Heart Foundation commented, “Small lifestyle tweaks—more sleep, extra activity, better diet can meaningfully improve heart health, showing that big changes aren’t always necessary.”
