Walking 6000-9000 Steps A Day Can Reduce Heart-attack Risk: Study

The data was analysed from over 20,000 people in the United States and 42 other countries

A new study shows that walking 6,000 to 9,000 steps a day can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) for older adults, mostly over the age of 60. Recently published in the journal circulation, the data was analysed from over 20,000 people in the United States and 42 other countries.

Lead author Dr Amanda Paluch of the University of Massachusetts said that the risk of CVD gradually decreased with each additional 1,000 steps. The average age of the subjects she was 63 years old, and 52 per cent of her in the study group were female.

Researchers found that people who walked 6,000 to 9,000 steps a day had a 40 to 50 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack and stroke, compared to those who walked 2,000 steps a day. Monitoring and encouraging steps per day is a simple indicator to gauge doctor-patient communication and population health and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, researchers say.

Experts say that the scientific reason for this is that any physical activity increases your heart rate. Heart rate above 100 during activity increases cardiac output and blood flow. This consumes blood sugar and fat-forming substances such as triglycerides and cholesterol.