Small lifestyle changes, including more sleep, light exercise and improved diet, can lower cardiovascular risk by about 10 percent. The study recommends eight to nine hours of sleep per night for optimal heart health.

Credits: Unsplash; Author: Patty Brito;

The study analysed data from more than 53,000 middle-aged adults over an eight-year period. Researchers found that combining several small changes, such as moderate activity like walking, cycling and similar everyday movement, had a greater impact than focusing on one major change. Researchers described the impact of small changes as “surprisingly large” for cardiovascular health.