Living as a night owl may be associated with risks for the cardiovascular system. People who are active in the evenings and go to bed late have, on average, worse heart health than others. This is reported by the Associated Press.
The authors emphasize that this chronotype is not a death sentence. The study's author, Sina Kianersi, explains that the main risk arises from the discrepancy between a person's internal biological clock and the social schedule they have to adapt to, making it harder to maintain heart-healthy habits, although some of these issues can be corrected.
The tendency to be a night owl or a lark is associated with circadian rhythms that regulate not only sleep but also the cardiovascular system, metabolism, and stress hormone levels. Previous studies have already shown that night owls are more likely to encounter risk factors such as smoking and low physical activity.
In the new study, scientists analyzed data from over 300,000 middle-aged and older individuals from the UK Biobank. Over 14 years of observation, individuals with a night chronotype had a 16 percent higher risk of heart attack or stroke than the average, with researchers noting that even without an ideal schedule, stable sleep and wake times are important, and the most effective measure for heart protection remains quitting smoking.
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