A study has found that extending weekend sleep could decrease the risk of heart disease by 20%.

A common issue among individuals who rise early for school or work during the week is sleep deprivation.

According to a recent Gallup poll, 57% of adults reported feeling better when they got more sleep, while only 42% stated that they obtain the amount of sleep they require.

Some people naturally sleep late on weekends, and new research shows that doing so can positively impact heart health.

In London, at the ESC Congress 2024 from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2, Chinese cardiovascular researchers will reveal findings from a U.K. Biobank study that analyzed sleep data from 90,903 individuals over a median of 14 years.

According to a press release on the ESC website, 21.8% of participants reported being sleep-deprived, getting less than seven hours of sleep per night, while the rest experienced occasional inadequate sleep.

Individuals who slept the most during weekends had a 20% lower risk of developing heart disease, including ischemic heart disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and stroke, compared to those who slept the least.

The release was based on an analysis of hospitalization records and death registry information.

A lower risk of heart disease is associated with sufficient compensatory sleep, according to Yanjun Song of the State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease at Fuwai Hospital, National Centre for Cardiovascular Disease, in Beijing, China.

Individuals who regularly experience inadequate sleep on weekdays show a more pronounced association.

According to Zechen Liu, a co-author who works at the same hospital, individuals who experience the most "catch-up" sleep on weekends have significantly lower rates of heart disease compared to those who get the least amount of sleep.

The new research is "uncovering," according to Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Planet Chronicle and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center.

According to Siegel, who was not involved in the research, the study shows a significant decrease in the risk of heart disease in a large group who slept more on weekends, even though it was not a double-blinded prospective randomized trial.

The doctor stated that catching up on sleep on weekends is restorative, enabling the brain to detoxify itself.

Siegel stated that it has a recuperative effect with lower stress hormone release, which positively impacts the heart.

The study's authors acknowledged that most of the respondents' sleep patterns did not meet the criteria for sleep deprivation, which is a limitation of the study.

Planet Chronicle Digital reached out to the researchers for further comment.