Small upgrades to sleep, diet, and exercise may cut heart risk
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- Reviewed by Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Adhering to healthy habits can help your heart, and new research suggests that even small, combined improvements can make a difference.
Sleeping 11 additional minutes, doing an extra five minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and eating just a quarter-cup more of vegetables each day was linked to a 10% reduction in heart attacks, strokes, and other serious heart problems compared with people who had less healthy habits. That's according to a study published online March 24, 2026, by the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology that followed more than 53,000 adults over eight years.
The optimal blend of habits includes eight to nine hours of sleep per night, 42 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous exercise daily, and a modest diet quality score. This combination was linked to a 57% lower risk of heart-related problems compared with people with the least optimal health profiles. (Better-quality diets include vegetables, fruits, fish, dairy, whole grains, and vegetable oils and fewer refined grains, processed meats, red meats, and sugary beverages.) According to the authors, incorporating several small changes into your daily routine may be beneficial and is likely more achievable than a single major shift.
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About the Author
Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
About the Reviewer
Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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