Lucy Devine
A simple habit you can easily build into your bedtime routine could reduce the risk of heart attack.
According to a new study, the small change could help people avoid a significant cardiovascular issue and because the habit is so easy to achieve, it's more likely to be sustainable.
As per the NHS, a heart attack is a medical emergency in which the supply of blood to the heart becomes blocked, often by a blood clot.
Symptoms can include chest pain as well as pain in other parts of the body (for example, it can spread to the arms, jaw, neck, back and tummy). Other symptoms include feeling lightheaded or dizzy; sweating; shortness of breath and nausea and vomiting.
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According to some new research published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, scientists from Australia, Chile and Brazil have looked at data from over 50,000 UK adults, examining sleep habits, exercise levels and diet.
They discovered that out of the group, over 2,000 major cardio events happened during the eight years that followed.
Unsurprisingly, they found that a healthy diet, sufficient sleep and exercise were the ideal ways to combat this, leading to 57 percent lower risk of heart attack and stroke. In fact, just an extra 11 minutes of sleep per night, as well as four and a half minutes of brisk walking and a quarter of a cup of vegetables daily can reduce the risk of cardio events by 10 percent.
Dr Nicholas Koemel, the study’s lead author and a research fellow at the University of Sydney, said: “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 behaviour.
“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.”
Meanwhile, Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, a senior author of the study said: “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.”