I’ve always struggled with inconsistent sleep, staying up late and waking up at different times each day. My love for coffee was also on an all-time high with trying all the season specials. But it is only recently, I learned how this irregular sleep pattern and caffeine could increase my risk of heart attack and stroke. Now, I’m prioritizing a consistent sleep schedule and cutting out caffeine after 3 PM to protect my heart.

A new, shocking study shows that irregular sleep patterns can greatly increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. But that's not all: the timing of your caffeine intake could also play a critical role in your cardiovascular health. If you are struggling with inconsistent sleep patterns and regularly sipping on caffeinated beverages late in the day, you may be unknowingly putting yourself at risk for serious heart-related issues.

For most people, sleep is something of a given and we often only consider ourselves as long as we get our required seven to nine hours. However, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, it may not be that long after all. The study, which included more than 72,000 participants, found that people with irregular sleep patterns—those who fall asleep and wake up at vastly different times each day—face a 26% higher risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke. This increased risk persisted even for those who managed to get enough sleep. The study followed up participants for eight years to track heart events such as heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure. The conclusions were clear: irregular sleep, even if it's sufficient in duration, is a major cardiovascular risk factor.

The researchers found that those whose sleep patterns were highly irregular had a significantly greater chance of life-threatening heart issues. The more erratic your sleep schedule, the greater the risk, regardless of how many hours you sleep. In fact, people with irregular sleep schedules showed worse cardiovascular health outcomes, including higher rates of high blood pressure, elevated stress hormones, and poor blood sugar and cholesterol management.

Senior scientist Dr. Jean-Philippe Chaput said "sleep regularity may be more relevant than sufficient sleep duration in modulating MACE [major adverse cardiovascular event] risk." In the study, it shows that our bodies are comfortable with consistency, and a varied sleep schedule may interfere with other processes that keep us healthy, especially the heart.

Is it Caffeine After 3 PM Causing Sleeplessness?

Another daily habit that may be putting your heart at risk is caffeine consumption after 3 PM. According to Dr. Chaput, the experts emphasize the need for a healthy sleep schedule and avoiding caffeine late in the day. Caffeine can stay in your blood for up to eight hours, and its consumption later in the afternoon can disrupt your sleep cycle.

Consistent, good-quality sleep is necessary for maintaining healthy cardiovascular function, and the disruption of this by late-day caffeine intake exacerbates the risks posed by irregular sleep. When you drink coffee, tea, or other caffeinated beverages too late, the stimulant effect on your nervous system makes it harder to fall asleep at a regular time. This can lead to inconsistent sleep patterns, which, as we have seen, can be harmful to heart health.

Dr Chaput insists that humans need to adopt practices that contribute to regularized sleep habits. This can be attained by establishing a proper sleeping and waking schedule, eliminating afternoon intake of stimulants such as caffeine, and making your body clock coincide with the lifestyle one leads.

How Does Poor Sleep Affect Heart Health?

According to the experts, the disturbance due to irregular sleep patterns impacts more than one physiological process involved in the maintenance of the healthy heart. For example, poor sleep can be associated with increased inflammation of the body, weakened immunity, and altered regulation of blood sugar and cholesterol, all of which contribute to increased blood pressure and weakening endothelial function, both associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. Sleep also plays a very important role in regulating stress hormones. Poor or disturbed sleep results in increased levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, which increases blood pressure and can have negative impacts on cardiovascular health over time.

Scientists hypothesize that these disturbances trigger a series of negative effects that enhance the risk of developing chronic heart conditions, including hypertension, atherosclerosis, or even heart failure.

Tips to Protect Your Heart and Improve Your Sleep

In order to protect your heart, experts recommend several proactive measures to improve your sleep patterns and lifestyle. First, maintain a regular sleep schedule whereby you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends. Consistency will keep your body's internal clock in check.

Along with regulating your sleep, paying attention to your caffeine habits is just as important. To reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke, experts suggest avoiding caffeine after 3 PM. If you’re sensitive to caffeine, this rule becomes even more critical.

In addition, the introduction of stress-reducing activities like yoga or mindfulness can also be beneficial to lower cortisol levels, and therefore both sleep and heart health can improve. A diet rich in antioxidants, healthy fats, and low on processed sugars also helps maintain cholesterol levels and reduce inflammation.

Does Your Sleep Environment Also Has A Role To Play

Apart from the timing of caffeine and your sleep schedule, another very overlooked factor is the quality of your sleep environment. Scientists have long known that the environment in which you sleep has a huge impact on the quality of your rest. Poor quality of sleep, even if your sleep schedule is regular, can cause health risks that are very much the same as those that arise from irregular sleep patterns.

Here’s an additional tip: make sure your bedroom is conducive to restful sleep. This means keeping your room dark, quiet, and cool. A temperature of around 65°F (18°C) is ideal for most people. Consider investing in a comfortable mattress and pillows, and avoid screen time at least 30 minutes before bed to allow your brain to unwind.

Irregular sleep, in association with taking caffeine in late parts of the day, can risk heart attack and stroke, but a simple maintenance of a sleep schedule, the reduction of consumption of afternoon caffeine, and sleep environmental awareness can definitely safeguard one's heart along with total health.

Your sleep is more than just a time for rest; it's a vital component of your long-term health, and maintaining consistency in your sleep habits is one of the best things you can do for your heart.

Health concerns around President Donald Trump has again sparked as many noticed him sleeping during the Thursday Press Conference in the Oval Office. The press conference was held to announce a deal with drugmakers on lowering cost of obesity drugs.

While the meeting had to be cut short after a man collapsed, videos from before the very incident showed president Trump sitting with his eyes closed. He seemed to have slumped on his chair. Many on X observed his actions, sparking health concerns. One X user wrote: "Trump was literally slumped over asleep during this conference. No wonder they keeping on doing 6 month brain scans." While another user wrote: "Trump just sleeping slumped over in his chair..." Another user wrote: "Dr Oz linking obesity to dementia while Trump's slumped over at his desk is absolutely a choice..."

Many users also joked about looking at his brain scans, as one of the users wrote: "What I would give to see that MRI report!" Another noted: "Trump looks seriously unwell. There are definitely medical issues being hidden from the public."

Trump Dozing Off At Official Announcements

This is not the first time President Trump has dozed off during an official announcement. Donald Trump appeared to momentarily doze off during a press conference which was held with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Media outlets have reported that the president struggled with his words and when it was Netanyahu's turn to speak, Trump looked completely disassociated, and even appeared to doze off momentarily. Trump was seen "jolting as he woke himself up".

The video from the press conference shows the president standing at the podium with his eyes closed, and within a few seconds, he was startled, blinking his eye, while he tapped his fingers on the podium in a manner to keep himself awake.

Then a few seconds later again, Trump appeared to have been sleeping again, but this time he moved his body to wake himself back again.

These clips from the past and the recent press conference have again sparked concerns around the president's health. However, no official statement on Trump's health has been released. In fact, his physician had pronounced him in "excellent overall health".

However, his past behaviors have raised concerned about his cognitive decline.

After two psychologists raised questions about the US President Donald Trump's mental health, saying that he showed signs of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), questions about his cognitive health is again intensified after Dr Narinder Kapur, a consultant neuropsychologist and visiting professor at the University College London said that president's behavior over the last six months has been "quite odd and strange," as reported by Express, UK.

Kapur said that Trump's suggestion that Canada should become the 51st US state. and his desire to "take over Greenland", and his controversial comments linking autism with paracetamol are really "bizarre". “Even though he’s probably been led a bit by [Robert F.] Kennedy [Jr.] on that, still for Trump to say the things he did was really quite odd and bizarre,” he said.

While Kapur did not diagnose Trump with dementia, he did suggest the possibility of frontotemporal dementia. “If one was thinking about the various possible dementias he’s got, certainly frontotemporal dementia is one of them, because some of his behavior has been really quite bizarre,” he said, adding that an Alzheimer’s test would help clarify concerns.

Scientists have found that a type of morning-after pill may help protect young women from developing breast cancer. The drug, which is already available for free on the NHS, blocks the hormone progesterone and has been shown to trigger changes in breast tissue that make it less likely for cancer to form. One woman who chose to undergo a double mastectomy as a preventive measure says the discovery “offers hope” to others at high genetic risk of the disease.

A team from Manchester University studied 24 women between 2016 and 2019 who were at high genetic risk of breast cancer due to family history. These women, aged between 34 and 44, took ulipristal acetate, and researchers observed that their breast tissue became less dense and less stiff, conditions that make it harder for cancers to grow.

What Is Ulipristal Acetate?

Ulipristal acetate is commonly prescribed as emergency contraception and to treat moderate to severe uterine fibroids. It works by blocking progesterone receptors, delaying ovulation, and altering the uterine lining to prevent pregnancy, as per 1mg.

Earlier research has also shown that triple-negative breast cancer tends to return or spread more quickly than other breast cancer types, especially within the first few years after diagnosis.

Is Ulipristal Acetate A Promising Step Toward Prevention?

Dr Sacha Howell, lead author of the study and Consultant Oncologist at The Christie Hospital in Manchester, said, “Our research shows that progesterone has a vital role in the development of breast cancer among high-risk women. By blocking its effects, ulipristal acetate and similar drugs could serve as effective preventive treatments,” he explained.

The findings suggest that using ulipristal acetate to prevent breast cancer may one day help women at higher risk before menopause.

Currently, these women face only two preventive options: long-term hormone therapy, which can cause side effects like higher blood clot risk and reduced bone density, or preventive surgery to remove part or all of the breasts.

The Need for Better Options

Dr Simon Vincent, chief scientific officer at Breast Cancer Now, which funded the study, said, “We urgently need better preventive treatments that protect both health and quality of life for women at high risk of breast cancer. Repurposing existing medications, like ulipristal acetate, could be a major step forward. Right now, the available options—preventive surgery or hormone therapy can have a serious impact on both the body and emotional wellbeing.”

The study, published in Nature, found that ulipristal acetate reduced the growth of certain breast cells known as luminal progenitors. These cells can develop into triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease that often affects younger and Black women.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting, stopping, or changing any medication or treatment.

New research suggests there is a strong connection: if your heart health isn't great when you are in your 40s or 50s, you have a higher chance of being diagnosed with dementia much later in life. The study, published in the European Heart Journal, of 6,000 people found those who developed dementia had high levels of a protein called troponin. This protein signals heart muscle damage and showed up in their blood up to 25 years before they were diagnosed with the brain condition. People with high troponin levels were 38% more likely to get dementia.

How Can a Heart Test Reveal Dementia Risk?

Troponin is a chemical that doctors usually look for when they think someone has had a heart attack. However, even if you haven't had a heart attack, high levels of troponin can still mean your heart muscle is being damaged bit by bit over time or isn't working as well as it should.

This damage can hurt the body's blood vessels, which in turn can reduce the amount of vital blood flowing to your brain. The researchers checked health data from a long-running study that followed people for an average of 25 years after they had their heart protein levels tested.

How is Heart and Brain Health Connected?

According to the American Brain Foundation, poor heart health significantly raises your risk for a stroke because arteries supplying the brain can become narrowed by plaque buildup or instantly blocked by blood clots. This damage, called an ischemic stroke, is accelerated by issues like high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking. Taking care of your heart ensures your brain receives the necessary healthy blood flow.

Keeping your heart and blood vessels healthy also significantly lowers your risk of developing dementia later on. Heart disease is closely linked to memory decline; coronary heart disease alone increases dementia risk by 40%. Managing risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, and especially cholesterol is key to protecting your long-term brain health.

Thinking about your brain's blood flow may not be a daily habit, but adopting healthy habits consistently over the long term can make a huge difference. No matter your age, it is never too late to start focusing on improving and protecting your circulatory and brain health.

Can Testing for Heart Diseases Prevent Dementia?

The researchers points out that the damage leading to dementia happens very slowly, over many years. They emphasize that if you manage common problems like high blood pressure in your middle years, you might be able to slow down or even stop the development of dementia, just as you protect yourself from heart problems. The scientists think testing for troponin could eventually become a key part of a doctor's check-up to predict someone's future risk of developing dementia.

Heart Health is Brain Health

Health experts agree that these findings are a strong reminder that the health of your heart and your brain are inseparable. The best ways to protect your brain are the same ways you protect your heart: keep your blood pressure and cholesterol down, exercise regularly, manage your weight, and avoid smoking. Medical foundations are now putting more money into research focused on understanding and preventing this connection, particularly vascular dementia.