Sophia Antipolis, France – A major study of more than 36,000 people with high blood pressure has found that walking more steps per day – even below the common 10,000-step target – and walking at a faster pace significantly lowers the risk of serious cardiovascular events.
Published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, the research showed that compared to walking 2,300 steps a day, each extra 1,000 steps reduced the risk of a major heart or vascular problem by 17%, up to 10,000 steps. Additional steps beyond 10,000 were linked to a lower risk of stroke.
Over an average follow-up of nearly eight years, more steps and faster walking speeds were associated with:
– 22% lower risk of heart failure
– 9% lower risk of heart attack
– 24% lower risk of stroke
Participants averaged 64 years old and wore wrist accelerometers for seven days to track walking habits. The fastest 30 minutes of daily walking, averaging 80 steps per minute, was linked to a 30% lower risk of major cardiovascular events.
Lead author Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis from the University of Sydney said the findings show that “any amount of physical activity is beneficial,” and that even fewer than 10,000 steps a day can improve heart health in those with high blood pressure.
The researchers also observed similar benefits in people without high blood pressure. They suggest healthcare providers encourage walking as a standard part of blood pressure management and consider promoting faster walking for greater benefits.
While the study cannot prove cause and effect, its large scale, objective step tracking, and national health record follow-up strengthen the evidence that more – and faster – walking could be a simple, accessible prescription for better heart health.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about root cause of heart rhythm disorders and Warning signal from the kidneys can predict future heart failure risk.
For more information about heart health, please read studies about a surprising link between alcohol drinking and heart health and both blood pressure numbers can predict heart disease risk.
The study is published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
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