Alert for night owls

A major study published in January 2026 in the Journal of the American Heart Association tracked more than 300,000 adults and found that people who are most active in the evenings had meaningfully worse cardiovascular health than those active earlier in the day. Night owls were 79 percent more likely to have a poor overall heart health score, and carried a 16 percent higher risk of heart attack or stroke over a 14-year follow-up. Women were especially affected. The underlying culprits: poor sleep, smoking, and diet. The good news is that these are all changeable, and improving them significantly reduces the risk.