{"id":5459,"date":"2023-06-15T04:12:22","date_gmt":"2023-06-15T04:12:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthnewscentral.com\/?p=5459"},"modified":"2023-06-15T04:12:22","modified_gmt":"2023-06-15T04:12:22","slug":"research-finds-adding-500-steps-more-a-day-can-lower-risk-of-heart-disease-in-seniors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthnewscentral.com\/research-finds-adding-500-steps-more-a-day-can-lower-risk-of-heart-disease-in-seniors\/","title":{"rendered":"Research Finds Adding 500 Steps More A Day Can Lower Risk Of Heart Disease In Seniors"},"content":{"rendered":"

A stud<\/p>\n

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Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A study presented at the American Heart Association Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle, and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2023<\/a> in Boston reveals that taking just 500 extra steps per day, which is equivalent to a quarter-mile of walking, can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke in older adults.<\/p>\n

Lead researcher and assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health<\/a>, Dr. Erin Dooley<\/a>, emphasizes, \u201cAging is a dynamic process and we want to help people to try to maintain physical activity because there are so many health benefits.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cSteps are a low-impact activity that are easy to measure, and we found that even small increments in steps taken are very beneficial for our hearts,\u201d<\/strong><\/em> she adds.<\/p>\n

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What The Study Found<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Dr. Dooley and her research team looked at data from 452 adults aged 70 and above who wore a tracking device measuring their daily steps for three or more days. The participants had an average step count of 3,500 per day. Over a period of 3.5 years, the researchers observed that 7.5 percent of the participants experienced cardiovascular events such as heart disease, heart attack, or stroke. The results showed very clear and strong correlations between tracked physical activity and heart health.<\/p>\n

When compared to older adults who walked less than 2,000 steps per day, those that took at least 4,500 steps showed a remarkable 77 percent lower risk of heart issues. In addition, every additional 500 steps taken were correlated with a 14 percent reduction in the risk of heart disease. These findings also supported previous evidence that even small amounts of physical activity can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.<\/p>\n

Research investigator in the department of medicine, Monica Serra, PhD<\/a>, specializing in geriatrics, gerontology and palliative medicine at UT Health in San Antonio, shared, \u201cThis study continues to support evidence that the addition of even small amounts of physical activity can greatly reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. This is especially important for older adults who may be unable to obtain 10,000 steps per day due to mobility impairments or other chronic conditions.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Notably, Dr. Serra was not involved in the study.<\/p>\n

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Heart Disease Risk Gets Higher With Age<\/strong><\/h3>\n

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)<\/a>, every year in the United States, around 697,000 people die from heart disease, which accounts for 1 in every 5 deaths.<\/p>\n

One major risk factor for heart disease is age, with adults ages 65 and older being much more like to have heart issues, like heart attack, stroke and heart failure, shares the National Institute of Aging (NIA)<\/a>. One main reason for this is that aging can cause changes to the heart and blood vessels.<\/p>\n

Medical director of heart failure and transplant at Loma Linda University International Heart Institute, Antoine Sakr, MD<\/a>, explained, \u201cAs we get older, the heart and blood vessels get stiffer.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

He also shares that this limits the blood flow to the organs, which then leads to hypertension, otherwise known as high blood pressure. This is a well-known risk factor for heart disease. Because the heart requires more work to pump blood, overtime, it may no longer be able to keep up the demand, making the heart muscle weaker or damaged and eventually leading to heart failure.<\/p>\n

As shared by the NIA, other age-related changes that may increase heart disease risk include:<\/p>\n