Daily step count linked to lower cardiovascular risk in older adults

Risks begin to drop well below the 10,000 step threshold.

To remember

• The risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events drops as the number of daily steps increases in an older adult population.
• Taking 6,000 to 9,000 steps per day is associated with a 50% lower risk, compared to 2,000 steps.

Why is this important?

• Many adults do not practice sufficient physical activity according to the recommendations of health authorities.
• This study suggests that even modest increases in step count might lead to a substantial benefit.

Methodology

• A meta-analysis of 8 studies measured step counts and CVD events in adults (n=20,152).
• Endpoint: CVD events (fatal and non-fatal coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure).
• Funding: United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Principle results

• Average age: 63.2 years.
• The mean follow-up time was 6.2 years.
• Median number of steps taken per day:
  • Persons aged 60 or over: 4,323 (interquartile range [IIQ] : 2 760–6 924).
  • People aged under 60: 6,911 (IIQ: 4,783–9,794).
• CVD risks (risk ratio [RR]) among participants aged 60 or older, relative to the lowest quartile of steps:
  • Quartile 2: 0.80 (confidence interval [IC] at 95%: 0.69–0.93).
  • Quartile 3: 0.62 (95% CI: 0.52–0.74).
  • Quartile 4: 0.51 (95% CI: 0.41–0.63).
• Among participants younger than 60, the risks in quartiles 2 through 4 were nonsignificantly lower than those in the bottom quartile.
  • Quartile 2: 0.79 (95% CI: 0.46–1.35).
  • Quartile 3: 0.90 (95% CI: 0.64–1.25).
  • Quartile 4: 0.95 (95% CI: 0.61–1.48).
• No relationship was found between step rate and outcome.

Limits

• No causal link has been established.
• Potential residual confounders.
• No analysis of individual patient data.
• Most participants were of non-Hispanic white ethnicity, which limits the generalizability of the results.
• Follow-up may not have been long enough to document associations in younger people.