Taking three basic steps to improve your health can slash the risk of having a heart attack, a study has found.

Sleeping for 11 minutes more each night, doing 4.5 additional minutes of brisk walking and eating an extra quarter cup of vegetables could help people avoid major cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes by around 10 per cent.

Academics found that small behaviour changes were more ‘achievable and sustainable’.

More than 53,000 middle-aged UK adults took part in the study.

Researchers looked at sleep habits and levels of exercise via data from wearable technology, such as smart watches. People also self-reported on their dietary habits.

The scientists found that 2,034 major cardiovascular events occurred during an eight-year follow-up period.

And they were able to identify the ‘optimal’ way people can avoid these incidents, including a good diet, eight to nine hours sleep per night and a minimum of 42 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day.

Combining these measures leads to a 57 per cent lower risk of heart attacks and strokes. According to the NHS website, moderate activity can include brisk walking, dancing, pushing a lawnmower, water aerobics and riding a bike. Vigorous activity includes running, swimming, skipping and aerobics.

Dr Nicholas Koemel, lead author and research fellow at the University of Sydney, said: ‘We show that combining small changes in a few areas of our lives can have a surprisingly large positive impact on our cardiovascular health.

Doing just 4.5 additional minutes of brisk walking may help people avoid major cardiovascular events, including heart attacks

Sleeping 11 minutes more every night, along with walking and eating more vegetables, could save you from a heart attack 

‘This is very encouraging news because making a few small, combined changes is likely more achievable and sustainable for most people when compared with attempting major changes in a single behaviour. Making even modest shifts in our daily routines is likely to have cardiovascular benefits, as well as create opportunities for further changes in the long run.

‘I would encourage people not to overlook the importance of making a small change or two to your daily routine, no matter how small they may seem.’

Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, senior author of the study, which involved experts from Australia, Chile and Brazil and was published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, said: ‘We plan to build on these findings to develop new digital tools that support people in making positive lifestyle changes and establish sustained healthy habits.’