A recent study has reported that minor improvements in daily habits, such as sleeping slightly longer, increasing physical activity, and improving diet, may reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events.
Researchers found that adding approximately 11 minutes of sleep each night, along with small increases in exercise and vegetable intake, was associated with nearly a 10% lower risk of heart attack, stroke, and related conditions.
The findings were published on March 24, 2026, in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.1
The research involved more than 53,000 adults from the United Kingdom, whose health data were obtained from the UK Biobank. Participants were followed for around eight years to track the occurrence of cardiovascular events. During this period, over 2,000 cases of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure were recorded.
Participants were generally middle-aged adults who were initially free of major cardiovascular disease at baseline, allowing researchers to better assess how lifestyle changes influenced future risk.
Dr. Nicholas Koemel, lead author and research fellow at the University of Sydney, said in a press release.
We show that combining small changes in a few areas of our lives can have a surprisingly large positive impact on our cardiovascular health. This is very encouraging news because making a few small, combined changes is likely more achievable and sustainable for most people when compared with attempting major changes in a single behavior.
Dr. Nicholas Koemel, Research Fellow, University of Sydney
Investigators used wearable devices to objectively monitor sleep duration and physical activity levels. Dietary habits were assessed using self-reported questionnaires. By combining these data, the researchers examined how multiple lifestyle behaviors interact and influence heart health, rather than studying each factor independently.
The study focused on how small, realistic changes could collectively impact cardiovascular outcomes. Results showed that even modest improvements, such as a few extra minutes of sleep and short increases in daily physical activity, can contribute to measurable health benefits when maintained over time.
According to the study, individuals who made these small combined improvements had about a 9% to 10% lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events.
Sleep plays a key role in regulating blood pressure, metabolism, and hormonal balance. Inadequate sleep has been linked to increased cardiovascular risk, partly due to its effects on appetite regulation, inflammation, and energy levels. These changes can indirectly influence dietary choices and physical activity patterns.
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.
Dr. Nicholas Koemel, Research Fellow, University of Sydney
Researchers also identified a more optimal combination of lifestyle behaviors. Individuals who slept between 8 to 9 hours per night, engaged in at least 42 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily, and followed a balanced diet had up to a 57% lower risk of major cardiovascular events compared to those with less healthy routines.
Cardiovascular diseases remain a leading cause of mortality worldwide. The findings highlight that achievable, incremental changes in everyday habits may contribute to risk reduction at the population level. Instead of large or difficult lifestyle shifts, small consistent improvements may be more practical and sustainable.
Experts noted that even small increases in sleep duration can help counter chronic sleep deprivation, which is common in modern lifestyles and is increasingly recognized as a cardiovascular risk factor.
The authors noted that the research is observational in nature. This means it identifies associations between lifestyle factors and cardiovascular outcomes but does not prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship. Further interventional studies are needed to confirm these findings.
As reported in the Guardian, Prof. Emmanuel Stamatakis, a senior author of the study and professor of physical activity and population health at the University of Sydney and Monash University
We plan to build on these findings to develop new digital tools that support people in making positive lifestyle changes and establish sustained healthy habits. This will involve working closely with community members to make sure the tools are easy to use and can address the barriers we all face in making tweaks to our day-to-day routines.
Prof. Emmanuel Stamatakis, Professor, University of Sydney and Monash University
The study suggests that adding a small amount of extra sleep each night, along with slight improvements in diet and physical activity, may help lower the risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular conditions. These findings support the role of combined lifestyle modifications in long-term heart health.
Importantly, the research emphasizes that improvements do not need to be drastic to be meaningful, and even small, consistent behavioral changes can have measurable public health impact.
1. Koemel, Nicholas A., Raaj Kishore Biswas, Stephen J. Simpson, Leandro F. M. Rezende, Tian Wang, Adrian Bauman, David Raubenheimer, Margaret Allman-Farinelli, Peter A. Cistulli, Matthew N. Ahmadi, and Emmanuel Stamatakis. 2026. “Combined Variations in Sleep, Physical Activity, and Nutrition and the Risk of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events.” European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjpc/zwag141
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