NIGHT OWLS AT HIGHER RISK OF HEART DISEASE THAN EARLY RISERS, STUDY FINDS

Adults who stay up late and are most active at night may face significantly poorer cardiovascular health than those who follow a morning-oriented routine, according to a large new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

- TDG NETWORK

The prospective study, published online on January 28, analysed data from 322,777 participants in the UK Biobank aged between 39 and 74 years. Researchers found that individuals who identified as “definite evening” types—commonly known as night owls—had substantially worse scores on the American Heart Association’s “Life’s Essential 8” (LE8) cardiovascular health metrics compared to those with earlier sleep-wake preferences.

Night owls recorded 79% worse LE8 scores than people with intermediate chronotypes, while “definite morning” individuals showed a 5% lower prevalence of poor cardiovascular health scores.

The study revealed that nearly three-quarters of the increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among evening types was linked to modifiable lifestyle factors captured in the LE8 framework. These include diet quality, physical activity, smoking, sleep duration and quality, body weight, cholesterol levels, blood glucose, and blood pressure.