Walking to a Healthier Heart: 2,000 Extra Steps a Day Decreases Risk of Cardiovascular Issues

Walking plays an essential part of our everyday exercise. And it just so turns out, that a recent study shows how important it can be for our heart health.

For instance, taking an extra 2,000 steps every day can help people with glucose-tolerance problems cut their heart attack or stroke risk by up to 8 percent, according to researchers from the University of Leicester.

"People with IGT have a greatly increased risk of cardiovascular disease," said study leader Thomas Yates from the University of Leicester. "While several studies have suggested that physical activity is beneficially linked to health in those with IGT (Impaired glucose tolerance), this is the first study to specifically quantify the extent to which change in walking behavior can modify the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular-related deaths."

At this time, it's estimated that 334 million people are affected by IGT around the world-that's 7.9 percent of the global population. For instance, by 2030, the number of people living with IGT is predicted to rise to 472 million.

For the study, Yates and colleagues studied more than 9,300 participants in 40 countries with IGT who had also been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease or were considered to be at a higher risk for developing the issue.

All involved were assigned al lifestyle modification program that was assigned to reduce body weight and dietary fat intake while increasing physical activity to 150 minutes per week. Researchers then measured the average number of steps each participant took per day for one week before the lifestyle modification program began. Then they took the number for one week into after the program began.

Researchers found that the more participants walked, the less likely they were to be at risk for a cardiovascular issue.

In fact, at the six year mark, they found that participants who added 2,000 steps to their daily routine-or approximately 20 minutes of moderate walking-reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 8 percent.

"Our results provide novel evidence that changing physical activity levels through simply increasing the number of steps taken can substantially reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack and stroke," Yates said. "Importantly, these benefits are seen regardless of body weight status or the starting level of activity. These novel findings provide the strongest evidence yet for the importance of physical activity in high risk populations and will inform diabetes and cardiovascular disease prevention programs worldwide."

Do you incorporate extensive walking into your daily exercise routine? Share in the comments below.

More information regarding the study can be found via The Lancet.