Starting point suggested for less active seniors who want to reduce their risk of heart disease – CTV
March 3, 2023
A new study suggests adults over the age of 70 who walk an extra 500 steps per day have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke or heart failure.
Researchers from the American Heart Association studied 452 people who wore an accelerometer on their hip — which is similar to a pedometer – to measure their steps. They wore the devices for a minimum of 10 hours over at least three days.
The average age of the participants was 78 years old and their average step count was roughly 3,500 steps per day.
“Steps are an easy way to measure physical activity, and more daily steps were associated with a lower risk of having a cardiovascular disease-related event in older adults,” said Erin E. Dooley, Ph.D., an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health and lead researcher of the study. “However, most studies have focused on early-to-midlife adults with daily goals of 10,000 or more steps, which may not be attainable for older individuals.”
