RECENT NUTRITIONAL STUDY
Walking 2,000 more steps each day reduces
cardiovascular risk
People with impaired glucose tolerance can reduce their
risk of cardiovascular disease by 8% simply by walking an
additional 2,000 steps a day, a large international study
says.
Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), a precursor to type 2
diabetes, affects 79 million Americans, according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Worldwide, the figures are even more staggering - with
researchers saying 344 million people are currently
affected, and this number is set to rise to 472 million by
2030.
Led by Dr. Thomas Yates, from the University of Leicester
in the UK, the latest study analyzed data collected from
9,306 adults from 40 countries.
The findings, published in The Lancet, suggest that an
extra 20 minutes of moderate exercise, such as walking,
reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke by 8%.
Dr. Yates explains:
"People with IGT have a greatly increased risk of
cardiovascular disease. While several studies have
suggested that physical activity is beneficially linked to
health in those with IGT, this is the first study to specifically
The researchers noted the average number of steps
each participant walked per day - as recorded by a
pedometer - over a week at the start of the study and
again 1 year later.
They found that participants who had increased their
exercise by walking an extra 2,000 steps each day had
a 10% lower risk of cardiovascular disease than the
previous year.
They also found that every 2,000 step increase or
decrease in walking activity from that originally
quantify the extent to which change in walking behaviour recorded was associated with an additional 8% lower
can modify the risk of heart disease, stroke, and or higher cardiovascular event rate.
cardiovascular-related deaths."
Dr. Yates adds:
Analyzing data originally collected for the NAVIGATOR trial, "Our results provide novel evidence that changing
the researchers focused on the 9,306 adults who had IGT physical activity levels through simply increasing
and cardiovascular disease, or at least one cardiovascular the number of steps taken can substantially reduce
the risk of cardiovascular disease, such as heart
risk factor.
All the participants received information aimed at losing attack and stroke. Importantly, these benefits are
weight, cutting dietary fat intake and increasing physical seen regardless of body weight status or the
exercise to 150 minutes per week.
starting level of activity."
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