It is not at all essential to take 10,000 steps every day to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Modern.az reports that scientists who studied data from more than 36,000 people with high blood pressure in Great Britain have determined this. The results of the study were published in the "European Journal of Preventive Cardiology" journal.
Participants in the study wore devices that measured physical activity, and their health status was monitored for approximately 10 years. The results showed that increasing daily physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of serious cardiovascular problems.
The lowest physical activity indicator among the participants was an average of 2344 steps per day. Every additional 1000 steps was associated with an approximately 17 percent reduction in the risk of serious cardiovascular events.
At the same time, the risk of stroke was 25 percent lower, the risk of heart failure was 22 percent lower, and the risk of heart attack was 9 percent lower.
Scientists have determined that the benefit of additional steps did not depend on a person's previous level of physical activity. That is, it was beneficial for a person who took approximately 3000 steps a day to take an additional 1000 steps, as well as for a person who already took 7000 or more steps to increase their activity.
However, after approximately 10,000 steps, the noticeable advantage of additional steps in terms of cardiovascular health did not significantly increase.
Thus, the study shows that the goal of taking 10,000 steps every day is not necessary. Even a relatively small increase in daily physical activity, especially in people with high blood pressure, can be associated with positive outcomes related to cardiovascular health.
It should be noted that the study established a statistical relationship between the number of steps and the risk of disease. These results do not prove that increasing steps directly prevents cardiovascular events.
