Can Sleeping Really Improve Your Heart Health? The Surprising Answer

[Nov. 12, 2023: Staff Writer, The Brighter Side of News]

Cardiovascular disease, a global menace, claims millions of lives each year. In 2021 alone, it was responsible for one in three deaths worldwide, with coronary heart disease emerging as the leading killer. With an alarming doubling in the number of individuals living with cardiovascular disease since 1997, the need for understanding its underlying factors has never been more critical.

In a groundbreaking study supported by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and published in the European Heart Journal, researchers have unveiled a crucial piece of the puzzle—how various movement patterns throughout a 24-hour day correlate with heart health.

This pioneering research represents the first evidence to surface from the international Prospective Physical Activity, Sitting, and Sleep (ProPASS) consortium. The ProPASS consortium is a collaborative effort that seeks to unravel the intricate relationship between daily activities and cardiovascular health. In this study, scientists from University College London (UCL) scrutinized data from six different studies encompassing 15,246 participants across five countries.

The methodology involved equipping each participant with a wearable device on their thigh to meticulously track their activity over a 24-hour period. Simultaneously, the researchers assessed their heart health through six commonly used indicators. The goal was to uncover a hierarchy of behaviors that compose a typical day and how each one influences heart health.

Related Stories:

Dr. Jo Blodgett, the first author of the study and affiliated with UCL Surgery & Interventional Science and the Institute of Sport, Exercise & Health, emphasized the significance of the findings, stating, "The big takeaway from our research is that while small changes to how you move can have a positive effect on heart health, intensity of movement matters." Indeed, the research demonstrated that the most substantial benefit to heart health came from replacing sedentary behavior with moderate to vigorous activity.

For instance, for a 54-year-old woman with an average BMI of 26.5, a mere 30-minute shift from sedentary time to moderate or vigorous exercise translated into a notable 0.64 decrease in BMI, representing a 2.4% reduction. Moreover, this change could also lead to a 2.5 cm (2.7%) reduction in waist circumference and a 1.33 mmol/mol (3.6%) decrease in glycated hemoglobin.

The hierarchy of behaviors revealed by the study suggests that time spent engaging in moderate-vigorous activity delivers the most significant benefits to heart health, followed by light activity, standing, and sleeping. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating even small amounts of intense physical activity into daily routines, whether through running, brisk walking, or stair climbing.

Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, one of the senior authors of the study from the Charles Perkins Centre and Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney, highlighted the novelty of the ProPASS consortium's approach, stating, "A key novelty of the ProPASS consortium is the use of wearable devices that better differentiate between types of physical activity and posture, allowing us to estimate the health effects of even subtle variations with greater precision."

While the study underscores the rapid benefits of engaging in vigorous physical activity, it also encourages individuals of all abilities to adopt healthier habits. Lower-intensity activities may require more time to yield tangible results, but they are still valuable. Simple changes, such as using a standing desk for a few hours a day instead of a sitting desk, can be easily integrated into one's daily routine, offering long-term health benefits.

Professor Mark Hamer, another senior author of the study from UCL Surgery & Interventional Science and the Institute of Sport, Exercise & Health, emphasized the importance of the study's holistic approach. He said, "Though it may come as no surprise that becoming more active is beneficial for heart health, what's new in this study is considering a range of behaviors across the whole 24-hour day. This approach will allow us to ultimately provide personalized recommendations to get people more active in ways that are appropriate for them."

James Leiper, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, applauded the research's findings and their implications for improving cardiovascular health. He noted, "This encouraging research shows that small adjustments to your daily routine could lower your chances of having a heart attack or stroke. This study shows that replacing even a few minutes of sitting with a few minutes of moderate activity can improve your BMI, cholesterol, waist size, and have many more physical benefits."

Leiper also offered practical advice for individuals looking to incorporate more activity into their lives. He suggested incorporating "activity snacks" into one's day, such as walking while taking phone calls or setting alarms to engage in brief bouts of physical activity every hour. These small changes can contribute to the habit of living a healthy, active lifestyle.

While this research sheds light on the association between daily movement patterns and heart health, it's important to note that it cannot establish causality between these behaviors and cardiovascular outcomes. However, it contributes to a growing body of evidence that underscores the importance of moderate to vigorous physical activity spread across a 24-hour day in improving body fat metrics.

As the world grapples with the escalating burden of cardiovascular disease, studies like this serve as a beacon of hope, offering actionable insights into how individuals can make meaningful changes to protect their heart health.

With further long-term studies on the horizon, the quest to fully understand the intricate connections between movement and cardiovascular outcomes continues, paving the way for personalized recommendations that can benefit people of all ages and abilities. The British Heart Foundation's support for this research underscores the urgency of the issue and the potential for transformative changes in public health strategies.

Note: Materials provided above by The Brighter Side of News. Content may be edited for style and length.

Like these kind of feel good stories? Get the Brighter Side of News' newsletter.