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Night Owls Face Higher Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke, Study Finds
Adults who identify as “night owls” may be putting their hearts at risk, according to a comprehensive new study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association. The research reveals that individuals who tend to stay up late and be more active in the evening hours score significantly lower on cardiovascular health assessments and face an elevated risk of serious cardiac events.
The 14-year study analyzed data from approximately 300,000 adults with an average age of 57 from the UK Biobank. Researchers categorized participants based on their self-reported chronotype — their natural tendency to be active at certain times of the day. About 8% described themselves as “definitely evening people,” while 24% identified as “definitely morning people.” The majority — 67% — fell into an intermediate category, expressing no strong preference.
Cardiovascular health was measured using the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 score, which evaluates eight key factors: physical activity, diet, blood pressure, cholesterol, nicotine use, sleep patterns, weight management, and blood sugar levels.
The results were striking. Evening-oriented individuals showed a 79% higher risk of poor cardiovascular health compared to the intermediate group. More concerning, these night owls faced a 16% higher risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke during the follow-up period.
“‘Evening people’ often experience circadian misalignment, meaning their internal body clock may not match the natural day-to-night light cycle or their typical daily schedules,” explained lead study author Sina Kianersi, Ph.D., a research fellow at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston.
This misalignment can trigger a cascade of unhealthy behaviors. “Evening people may be more likely to have behaviors that can affect cardiovascular health, such as poorer diet quality, smoking, and inadequate or irregular sleep,” Kianersi added.
Interestingly, morning-oriented individuals demonstrated slightly better heart health scores than the intermediate group. The researchers also observed that the association between evening preference and poor cardiovascular outcomes was more pronounced in women than in men, though the reasons for this gender difference require further investigation.
Dr. Bradley Serwer, an interventional cardiologist and chief medical officer at VitalSolution, who was not involved in the study, emphasized that lifestyle habits played a significant role in these findings.
“Cardiovascular disease has multiple contributing causes,” Serwer noted. “Sleep is just one variable — and the importance of high-quality, restorative sleep should not be undervalued.”
The findings could have important clinical implications, potentially helping doctors develop more personalized approaches to prevent cardiovascular events. Healthcare providers might consider a patient’s chronotype when designing lifestyle interventions or medical treatment plans.
However, the study does have several limitations worth noting. Most significantly, it establishes only an association between evening preference and heart problems, not a direct cause-and-effect relationship. The research also relied on self-reported data, which can be subject to inaccuracies.
Additionally, the UK Biobank population is predominantly white and tends to have better overall health than the general population, which may limit the broad applicability of the findings across diverse demographic groups.
“While quality sleep is important, further studies are required to show exactly what sort of impact sleep alone has on cardiovascular health,” Serwer cautioned.
For the estimated one in twelve adults who identify as night owls, these findings may provide motivation to work with healthcare providers on adjusting sleep habits or addressing other cardiovascular risk factors that might be exacerbated by late-night tendencies. As research continues to explore the complex relationship between chronotype and health, the connection between when we sleep and our heart health appears increasingly significant.
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18 Comments
The AHA’s Life’s Essential 8 score seems like a comprehensive way to assess cardiovascular health. Curious to learn more about the specific metrics and how they were applied in this study.
Good point. The details on how they measured and scored the different factors would provide helpful context to better understand the findings.
Really thought-provoking findings. Makes me wonder if there are any interventions or lifestyle changes that could help “night owls” mitigate their elevated cardiovascular risks.
As someone who has struggled with irregular sleep patterns, this study hits close to home. Definitely motivates me to be more intentional about getting to bed and waking up at consistent times.
Impressive that the researchers were able to analyze data from such a large sample size. The UK Biobank seems like an invaluable resource for conducting comprehensive health studies like this one.
Agreed. Having access to high-quality, longitudinal datasets is crucial for identifying meaningful patterns and deriving robust insights into public health issues.
As a health-conscious person, I’m always eager to learn about new research on factors that can influence cardiovascular risk. This study provides an interesting perspective on the role of sleep timing.
Agreed. While more work is needed, this is a valuable contribution to our understanding of the complex interplay between sleep, lifestyle, and heart health.
Fascinating study on the link between sleep patterns and heart health. Might explain why some folks have a harder time with cardiovascular issues. Curious to see if the findings hold up across different populations.
Yes, the sample size seems quite large, which is encouraging. Still, more research will be needed to confirm the relationship and understand the underlying mechanisms.
Glad to see research exploring the nuances of how sleep impacts overall well-being. As someone who tends towards being a night owl, this is a good reminder to be mindful of my habits and their potential health implications.
Agreed. Small lifestyle adjustments around sleep schedule could potentially make a big difference in reducing cardiovascular risk. Worth discussing with one’s doctor.
It’s concerning to see that even a relatively small subset of the population – the “night owls” – face elevated risks. Reinforces the importance of getting adequate, high-quality sleep.
The findings on the differences in cardiovascular health scores between morning people, evening people, and those in the middle are quite striking. Really highlights how our circadian rhythms can impact physical well-being.
Absolutely. It will be fascinating to see how these insights could inform future prevention and treatment strategies for heart disease and stroke.
This aligns with growing evidence on the importance of good sleep hygiene for overall wellness. Hopefully the findings will encourage more people to prioritize healthy sleep habits.
An interesting study, but I wonder about potential confounding factors that weren’t accounted for, like socioeconomic status, stress levels, or other lifestyle variables that could influence both sleep and heart health.
Absolutely, the researchers would need to do more to isolate the specific impact of sleep timing from other related health determinants. Correlation doesn’t necessarily mean causation.