0210 Staying Up Late Could Harm Heart Health

Staying Up Late Could Harm Heart Health

If you like staying up late, your heart health could be at risk.

That's according to research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Researchers used data from around 320,000 people aged 39 to 74 to look at the link between preferred bedtime and heart disease.

Participants were asked to report on their chronotype, which describes when they tend to sleep or be active during the day.

Among middle-aged to older adults, around 8% to 11% are believed to have an evening chronotype, meaning they are most active later in the day and often sleep late.

Around 24% to 35% have a morning chronotype, meaning they are more active in the morning and sleep earlier at night.

The others have a chronotype somewhere between these two.

The study participants were scored on the American Heart Association's "Life's Essential 8" list, which uses eight lifestyle factors to calculate heart disease risk. These include sleep as well as things like diet, exercise and tobacco use.

The study found that people who described themselves as "definitely an evening person" had a 16% higher risk of heart attack or stroke compared to those with no strong bedtime preference.

Evening people often experience "circadian misalignment," meaning their natural body clock doesn't match their typical daily schedule. Those who naturally want to go to bed late may still have to wake up early for work or school, which can mean they get less sleep overall.

Along with not getting enough sleep, people who stay up late may have increased health risks because they tend to have less healthy lifestyles. In the study, they were found to be more likely to smoke and have poor diets.

The American Heart Association said it's not all bad news for evening people, however, as the study also shows that they can make lifestyle changes to reduce their risk of heart disease.