by A recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that individuals who take between 9,000 to 10,000 steps daily may lower their risk of death and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Regardless of the time spent sedentary, each additional step up to approximately 10,000 steps per day was found to have a positive impact on overall health.
This large population-based study, led by the University of Sydney/Charles Perkins Center, analyzed data from 72,174 individuals enrolled in the UK Biobank study. Participants, with an average age of 61 and 58% female, wore accelerometer devices on their wrists for seven days to measure physical activity levels.
The findings revealed that having a higher daily step count was associated with reduced mortality and CVD risk, while high levels of sedentary behavior were linked to an increased risk of CVD and death. It was noted that engaging in physical activity could offset the negative effects of sedentary time on health.
The median daily step count among participants was 6,222 steps/day, with 2,200 steps/day identified as the reference point for assessing the impact on mortality and CVD events. The study also highlighted that individuals who accumulated between 9,000 to 10,000 steps/day had a 39% lower mortality risk and a 21% lower incident CVD risk.
During the 6.9 years of follow-up, the study recorded 1,633 deaths and 6,190 CVD events. The authors noted that the benefits of increased step count were noticeable even at lower thresholds, with 50% of the advantages seen at 4,000 to 4,500 steps/day.
While the study was observational and could not establish causation, the results suggest that any increase in daily steps above 2,200 steps/day was associated with a decreased risk of mortality and incident CVD, regardless of sedentary time. The authors recommended a daily step count of 9,000 to 10,000 steps for highly sedentary individuals to optimize health outcomes.
The researchers concluded that their findings could have implications for public health messaging and future guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behavior. The study highlights the importance of incorporating daily stepping recommendations to improve overall health and reduce the risk of CVD and mortality.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
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