Even few thousand of daily Step Count may Lower Mortality Risk

Mounting evidence supports the notion that physical inactivity and minimal daily step counts can significantly elevate the risk of cardiovascular disease (CV) and overall health issues. However, the optimal number of steps and their exact impact on health remain uncertain.

In a comprehensive meta-analysis published in European Journal Of Preventive Cardiology, researchers led by Maciej Banach aimed to assess the relationship between step count and the risks of all-cause mortality and CV mortality. The researchers found that all-cause mortality begins to drop at 4,000 steps and CV mortality at around 2,300 steps per day.

Physical activity has long been linked to improved cardiovascular health and reduced mortality. To further understand the connection between step count and mortality risk, researchers conducted a thorough meta-analysis that encompassed 17 cohort studies involving a total of 226,889 participants. The participants included individuals who were generally healthy or at risk of cardiovascular conditions. The median follow-up duration was 7.1 years.

● The results of the analysis revealed compelling findings. For every 1000-step increment in daily step count, there was a significant 15% decrease in the risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 0.85; 95% confidence interval: 0.81–0.91; P < 0.001).

● A 500-step increment was associated with a notable 7% reduction in the risk of CV mortality (hazard ratio: 0.93; 95% confidence interval: 0.91–0.95; P < 0.001).

● The study examined different quartiles of daily step counts and their correlation with mortality risk. The quartiles with higher step counts showed a linear relationship with decreased risks of both all-cause mortality and CV mortality.

● The reference quartile, which had a median daily step count of 3967, saw progressively lower risks for all-cause mortality in the subsequent quartiles with higher step counts (Quartile 1: 48% reduction, Quartile 2: 55% reduction, Quartile 3: 67% reduction; P < 0.05 for all).

● Similar trends were observed for CV mortality. Compared to the lowest quartile (median steps: 2337), higher quartiles of daily step counts (Quartile 1: 16% reduction, Quartile 2: 49% reduction, Quartile 3: 77% reduction; P < 0.05 for all) displayed a linear decrease in risk.

● The study also utilized a restricted cubic splines model to investigate the dose-response association between step count and mortality.

● This analysis revealed a nonlinear relationship, with progressively lower risks of both all-cause and CV mortality as daily step counts increased (P < 0.001 for both).

In conclusion, this meta-analysis underscores a significant inverse correlation between daily step count and the risks of all-cause mortality and CV mortality. The findings suggest that increasing daily step count beyond the threshold of 3967 steps for all-cause mortality and 2337 steps for CV mortality is associated with reduced mortality risks. These results emphasize the importance of physical activity in maintaining cardiovascular health and overall well-being.

Reference:

Banach, M., Lewek, J., Surma, S., Penson, P. E., Sahebkar, A., Martin, S. S., Bajraktari, G., Henein, M. Y., Reiner, Ž., Bielecka-Dąbrowa, A., & Bytyçi, I. (2023). The association between daily step count and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality: a meta-analysis. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, zwad229. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjpc/zwad229