A study, described by The Sun, examined data from around 53,000 middle-aged Britons, with information collected via smartwatches and self-reported dietary habits.
Over eight years, 2,034 cases of serious cardiovascular problems were recorded.
The researchers behind the study are from Australia, Chile, and Brazil. They analyzed the relationship between sleep, exercise, and diet.
The results show that even small improvements in daily habits can have a positive impact on health.
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The importance of lifestyle
People who slept less than six hours and had low levels of physical activity faced the highest risk of illness. For this particular group, even minor changes can make a difference.
The study indicates that a combination of slightly more sleep, brief daily exercise, and more vegetables can improve health.
At the same time, the results show that larger changes lead to even greater benefits.
According to the British Heart Foundation, the most important thing is to choose habits that can be maintained over time.
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11 minutes
The key finding of the study was that just 11 extra minutes of sleep per night, combined with a few minutes of daily exercise and slightly more vegetables, can reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular problems by approximately 10 percent.
If the changes are more substantial, such as increased sleep and regular exercise, the risk can decrease even further.
Sources: The Sun, and the British Heart Foundation.
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