Health · Fitness & Nutrition · 1 hr ago
Irregular weekend sleep, meals and drinking may affect heart health
Weekend changes in sleep, meals and drinking may affect heart health, specialists say.
The concern is about repeated shifts from weekday routines, not an occasional late breakfast or lie-in.
Different sleep schedules can disrupt the body clock and are associated with risks such as high blood pressure, weight gain and high blood sugar.
One study found that each hour of difference in meal times between weekdays and weekends was linked to a 21% higher heart-disease risk in men; the reported effect was smaller in women.
Keeping wake-up time within 30 to 60 minutes of usual may help, and specialists suggest going to bed earlier if you are short on sleep.
They say there is not enough evidence for a strict meal schedule, while overall diet and managing cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity remain important.
Irregular weekend sleep, meal and drinking schedules may affect cardiovascular health, according to specialists cited by The Telegraph.
Changes in routine may influence blood pressure, glucose control, cholesterol and heart rhythm.
Experts say repeated shifts in sleep and meal times can disrupt the body’s biological clock.
One study linked each hour of difference in meal times between weekdays and weekends with a 21% higher risk of heart disease in men.
A separate study associated an extra hour and 27 minutes of weekend sleep with 9% lower odds of hypertension.
- Who
- People whose weekend sleep, meal or drinking habits differ from their weekday routines.
- What
- Specialists say repeated changes may affect heart health and cardiovascular risk factors.
- When
- During weekends, particularly when routines differ from those on weekdays.
- Where
- Not stated.
- Why
- Changes may disrupt biological rhythms and affect blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol and heart rhythm.
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- Wake-up recommendation
- Keep the weekend wake-up time within 30 to 60 minutes of the usual time.
- Weekend sleep study
- An extra 1 hour and 27 minutes of sleep was associated with 9% lower odds of hypertension.
- Meal timing study
- Each hour of difference in meal times was linked to 21% higher heart disease risk in men.