IN adults with hypertension, walking as few as 3,000 steps per day, well below the widely cited 10,000-step benchmark, is linked to a significantly lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), new research shows. The study found that incremental increases in both daily step count and stepping intensity were associated with reduced incidence of heart failure, myocardial infarction, and stroke.
Researchers analyzed data from 36,192 participants with established hypertension in the UK Biobank accelerometry sub-study. Participants, average age 64 years, wore wrist accelerometers for 7 consecutive days to record step count and peak 30-minute walking cadence. Over an average follow-up of 7.8 years, the team examined dose–response relationships between activity levels and cardiovascular outcomes.
For each additional 1,000 steps taken daily, up to 10,000 steps, the risk of experiencing MACE fell by 17.1%. Risk reductions for individual events were notable, including 22.4% for heart failure and 24.5% for stroke. While myocardial infarction risk also decreased by 9.3%, this association was less pronounced. Benefits were observed even at modest activity levels, with stronger effects seen when steps were taken at a higher intensity.
The study also compared results between participants with and without hypertension, finding similar relative benefits for overall MACE, heart failure, and stroke, though the association with myocardial infarction was smaller in those with hypertension.
These findings suggest that for adults with hypertension, aiming for gradual increases in daily steps, even without reaching 10,000 steps, can yield significant cardiovascular benefits, especially when walking at a brisk pace.
Reference:
Cheng SWM et al. Prospective associations of daily step count and stepping intensity with overall and type-specific major adverse cardiovascular events in people with hypertension. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2025. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwaf441
