11 Oct 2023 • The minimal and optimal daily step counts for significant health improvements remain unclear. A review of 12 studies analyzed the relationship of the volume of daily step counts to all-cause mortality and incident CVD in the general population. The results of the study was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

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• A minimum of 2,517 steps/day was associated with 8% reduction in all-cause mortality and 2,735 steps/day for 11% reduction in CVD risk.
• The optimal volume of 8,763 steps/day resulted in 60% risk reduction in all-cause mortality and 7,126 steps/day for 51% risk reduction of incident CVD.
• The volume (steps/day) and intensity (cadence, steps/min) were independently associated with all-cause and CVD risk reductions
• However, volumes >10,000 steps/day had a plateau effect with no significant additional risk benefit.
• There were no significant differences between men and women.

In conclusion, a minimum of 2,517 steps/day was associated with significant reduction in all-cause mortality and 8,763 steps/day for optimal benefit (8% and 60%, respectively). For CVD risk reduction, 2,735 steps/day was observed for significant reduction and 7,126 steps/day for optimal benefit (11%, 51%, respectively).

The findings from this study can encourage patients to reach tangible targets by using readily available self-care tools to achieve optimal health benefits.

Source: American College of Cardiology | Read full story