More Steps, Faster Pace May Be Linked to Lower Heart Risk in Hypertensive Adults: Study Shows - Video

A new study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology has found that walking more steps each day—even below the popular 10,000-step target—and doing so at a brisk pace is associated with a significantly lower risk of serious heart and vascular conditions in people with high blood pressure. The research analyzed data from more than 36,000 individuals and revealed a strong link between increased physical activity and reduced cardiovascular risk.

High blood pressure affects over 1.28 billion people globally and is a major contributor to heart disease, stroke, and heart failure. Despite known benefits of physical activity, the precise amount required to reduce heart-related risks in hypertensive individuals has remained unclear—until now.

Researchers used accelerometer data from 32,192 participants in the UK Biobank study. These individuals wore wrist devices for seven consecutive days between 2013 and 2015 to measure their step count and walking speed. They were followed for nearly eight years, during which 1,935 cardiovascular events occurred.

The researchers found that for every additional 1,000 steps walked per day—starting from a baseline of 2,300 steps—there was a 17% reduction in the overall risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Specifically, this step increase was linked to a 22% lower risk of heart failure, a 9% reduction in heart attack risk, and a 24% decrease in stroke risk. In absolute terms, this equated to 31.5 fewer MACE events, 7.2 fewer heart failure events, 9.9 fewer heart attacks, and 10.4 fewer strokes per 10,000 person-years.

Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, Director of the Mackenzie Wearables Research Hub at the University of Sydney, Australia, who supervised the study, said: “Our findings offer patients accessible and measurable targets for heart health, even below 10,000 steps daily. Clinicians should promote physical activity as standard care, especially in patients with high blood pressure. Our results can inform new, tailored public health recommendations for these patients. Future recommendations on walking in people with high blood pressure could consider promoting higher stepping intensity.”

While the study's strengths include its large sample size and objective physical activity measurements, researchers acknowledged some limitations, including potential changes in activity over time and the observational nature of the study. Nonetheless, the evidence strongly supports the role of increased, brisk walking in reducing cardiovascular risks for people with high blood pressure.

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