Study participants who took the most steps per day had a 43% lower risk of diabetes and 31% lower risk of hypertension than those who walked less.
The more steps a day people take in middle age, the less often they are diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes. This is evidenced by a new study that was presented at the Epidemiology and Prevention conference of the American Heart Association, according to a press release from the organization.
Study participants who took the most steps per day had a lower risk of diabetes by 43%, and hypertension by 31% compared to those who walked less.
In addition, in the women who participated in the study, every additional 1000 steps per day reduced the risk of obesity by 13%. Participants who took the maximum number of steps developed it 61% less frequently than those who took the fewest. But for men, no such association was found.
“Walking is a widely available form of physical activity, and the number of steps per day is a simple indicator and motivational factor that most people understand,” said Amanda Raluch (AmandaE. Paluch, assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts, author of the study.