A new study finds that walking 500 steps a day is associated with a 14% lower risk of heart disease, stroke or heart failure, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Center.
Dr. Erin Dooley, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Alabama at the Birmingham School of Public Health and principal investigator of the study, declared that the importance of the study lies in its focus on advanced ages, while most studies focused on adults in early to middle age with daily goals of 10. Thousands of steps or more, which may not be achievable for older individuals.
Participants in the current analysis were part of a larger study group of 15,000 adults who were originally recruited for the Continuing Atherosclerosis Risk Community Study to assess a potential association between daily step count and cardiovascular disease.
The researchers analyzed the health data of 452 participants who used an accelerometer device similar to a pedometer, worn at the hip, to measure their daily steps. The average age of the participants was 78 years; 59% of women.
The devices were worn for three or more days, for ten or more hours, and the average number of steps was about 3,500 steps per day. Over the 3.5-year follow-up period, 7.5% of the participants experienced cardiovascular disease, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, or heart failure.
The analysis drew the following results:
Compared to middle-aged people who took fewer than 2,000 steps a day, adults who took nearly 4,500 steps a day had a 77% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Every additional 500 steps taken per day was incrementally associated with a 14% lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
Dooley commented on the results, saying, “It is important to maintain physical activity as we age, however, daily step goals must also be met. We were surprised that 500 steps of walking had such powerful benefits for heart health.” He added, “While we “We don’t want to underestimate the importance of high-intensity physical activity, encouraging small increases in daily step count also has big cardiovascular benefits. If you’re an adult over 70, start by trying to get another 500 steps a day.”
Everyone can improve cardiovascular health by following the basics of living, according to the American Heart Association, by “eating healthy food, being physically active, not smoking, getting enough sleep, maintaining a healthy weight, and controlling cholesterol, sugar and blood pressure levels.”
Cardiovascular disease claims more lives each year in the United States than all forms of cancer and chronic lower respiratory disease combined, according to the American Heart Association.
