Have You Heard? The AHA Life’s Essential 8 Includes Sleep

The American Heart Association (AHA) has added sleep to their cardiovascular health checklist! In 2022, AHA’s previous checklist, known as “Life’s Simple 7” was updated to “Life’s Essential 8”.

Cardiovascular disease is the top cause of death worldwide. Since the Simple 7 was published in 2010, research has repeatedly shown that poor sleep increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, depression, obesity, and dementia. The AHA recommends that adults get 7-9 hours of sleep each day.

The AHA Life’s Essential 8 are:

  1. Eat Better
  2. Be More Active
  3. Quit Tobacco
  4. Get Healthy Sleep
  5. Manage Weight
  6. Control Cholesterol
  7. Manage Blood Sugar
  8. Manage Blood Pressure

The addition of sleep to the checklist underscores the importance of quality sleep in overall health. To learn more about the Essential 8 and assess your own heart health, visit www.heart.org

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