Walk More, Keep the Doctor Away

Researchers from the British Journal of Sports Medicine conducted a study to explore the connection between daily step count and cardiovascular disease as well as mortality. They also looked into the impact of prolonged sedentary behavior on the ideal number of daily steps to take.

Health experts recommend increasing daily step count to reduce mortality and morbidity due to the risks associated with prolonged sedentary behavior. However, existing research on daily stepping is limited and does not address how sedentary time affects the relationship between mortality and cardiovascular disease. The availability of wearable devices has made it easier for individuals to monitor their health and set goals.

Study: Do the associations of daily steps with mortality and incident cardiovascular disease differ by sedentary time levels? A device-based cohort study. Image Credit: Joseph M. Arseneau / Shutterstock

About the study

This device-based cohort study examined how prolonged sedentary behavior influenced the relationship between daily steps and the risks of mortality and cardiovascular disease.

The researchers analyzed data from the United Kingdom Biobank, focusing on individuals aged 40 to 69 recruited between 2006 and 2010. They assessed the total daily steps taken by participants across high (≥10.50 hours per day) and low (less than 10.50 hours per day) inactive periods. The study tracked new cases of cardiovascular disease and mortality until October 31, 2021.

Participants completed digital surveys and underwent physical examinations. Individuals with prior cardiovascular disease or cancer diagnoses, missing data, or recent events were excluded from the analysis. From 2013 to 2015, 103,684 participants wore wrist accelerometers for at least 16 hours a day for three or more days to monitor their physical activity levels.

Using mortality data from various national health records, the researchers evaluated the relationship between daily steps and mortality and cardiovascular events. They considered factors such as age, gender, lifestyle habits, medical history, and clinical measurements in their analyses.

Results

Over seven years, the study involving 72,174 individuals identified 1,633 deaths and 6,190 cardiovascular disease events. High levels of sedentary behavior were associated with a higher risk of various health issues. The optimal daily step count for reducing mortality risk ranged from 9,000 to 10,500 steps for individuals with high and low sedentary times.

Individuals with low sedentary times had a lower risk of mortality for the same number of daily steps as those with high sedentary times. The study highlighted the importance of taking more than 2,200 steps per day to lower mortality and cardiovascular disease risks among both sedentary and non-sedentary individuals.

An efficient daily step count to reduce mortality and cardiovascular disease risk was determined to be between 9,000 to 10,500 steps per day, emphasizing the significance of increasing daily physical activity levels.