Just 5 more minutes of exercise, 10 more of sleep may lower heart disease risk

Key Points:

• A study tracking over 50,000 participants for eight years found that modest, combined improvements in sleep, physical activity, and diet (SPAN) significantly reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events (MACE) like heart attack and stroke.
• Participants with the highest lifestyle scores, reflecting healthier SPAN habits, experienced up to a 50-57% lower risk of cardiovascular events, while even small improvements—such as 10 extra minutes of sleep or 5 minutes of activity—were linked to a 10% risk reduction.
• Researchers suggest that making manageable changes across multiple lifestyle areas is more effective and sustainable for heart health than attempting large changes in one area alone.
• Cardiologists not involved in the study highlighted its value in demonstrating that small, realistic lifestyle modifications can have substantial population-level benefits despite the observational nature of the research.
• The study reinforces the importance of incremental, sustainable changes in daily habits, encouraging individuals to start with simple steps rather than drastic overhauls to improve cardiovascular health over time.