Study shows daily step increases and faster walking reduce cardiovascular risks in people with high blood pressure

Study shows daily step increases and faster walking reduce cardiovascular risks in people with high blood pressure

(IN BRIEF) A large-scale study of more than 36,000 people with high blood pressure has shown that walking more steps daily, even below 10,000, and increasing walking pace can significantly reduce the risk of heart and vascular problems. Each extra 1,000 steps up to 10,000 was linked to a 17% lower overall risk of major cardiovascular events, with further reductions for stroke at higher step counts. Benefits included a 22% reduction in heart failure risk, 9% reduction in heart attack risk, and 24% reduction in stroke risk. The study, led by the University of Sydney and published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, used accelerometer data from the UK Biobank and followed participants for nearly eight years. Findings suggest clear, measurable targets for cardiovascular health improvement in patients with hypertension and support promoting higher step intensity alongside increased daily steps.

(PRESS RELEASE) SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS, 8-Aug-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — New research involving more than 36,000 individuals with high blood pressure reveals that increasing daily step count, even to levels below the commonly recommended 10,000 steps, and walking faster can substantially lower the risk of serious heart and vascular conditions.

Published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, the study found that compared with a baseline of 2,300 steps per day, each additional 1,000 steps was linked to a 17% lower risk of experiencing a major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), up to a limit of 10,000 steps. Extra steps beyond this threshold were particularly associated with a reduced risk of stroke. The data also indicated that for every 1,000 additional daily steps, there was a 22% reduction in the risk of heart failure, a 9% lower risk of heart attack, and a 24% lower risk of stroke.

Globally, around 1.28 billion people live with high blood pressure, which significantly raises the likelihood of developing heart disease, stroke, and heart failure. Until now, there has been limited evidence on the specific step counts needed for people with hypertension to achieve meaningful cardiovascular benefits.

The investigation, led by Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, Director of the Mackenzie Wearables Research Hub at the University of Sydney, analyzed accelerometer data from 32,192 UK Biobank participants diagnosed with high blood pressure. Participants, with an average age of 64, wore wrist-mounted devices for seven consecutive days between 2013 and 2015 to track step count and pace. They were then followed for nearly eight years, providing a total of 283,001 person-years of observation. Over this period, 1,935 cases of heart problems or stroke were recorded.

Beyond the step count findings, the research also showed that the average pace during the participants’ fastest 30 minutes of walking each day—80 steps per minute—was linked to a 30% reduced risk of MACE. Even higher intensities, above 130 steps per minute, showed no evidence of harm. Similar protective effects were observed in a parallel analysis involving over 37,000 participants without high blood pressure.

“These results deliver a clear, measurable target for patients with high blood pressure,” said Prof. Stamatakis. “They highlight that every additional 1,000 steps, along with higher stepping intensity, can bring substantial health benefits. Physical activity should be an integral part of clinical care, and our findings can help shape more tailored public health guidance.”

Strengths of the study include its large participant pool, use of precise accelerometer-based measurements, and linkage with national death and health records. Limitations include reliance on step data collected only at the start of the study and the observational nature of the research, which identifies associations but cannot confirm causation.

The European Society of Cardiology, which brings together cardiovascular health professionals from over 150 countries, emphasizes that these findings reinforce the value of physical activity at any level, with greater rewards for those who walk further and faster.

Notes:

[1] “Prospective associations of daily step count and stepping intensity with overall and type-specific major adverse cardiovascular events in people with hypertension”, by Sonia W.M. Cheng et al. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwaf441

[2] Stepping intensity, or how fast people walked, was measured by calculating the average steps per minute during the 30 highest-intensity minutes of activity in a day. The reflects the highest intensity of natural walking patterns.

https://academic.oup.com/eurjpc/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/eurjpc/zwaf441.

Please acknowledge the journal as a source in any articles.

Funding: This study is funded by an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Grant.

About the European Society of Cardiology

The ESC brings together healthcare professionals from more than 150 countries, working to advance cardiovascular medicine and help people to live longer, healthier lives.

The European Journal of Preventive Cardiology (EJPC) is an official, international, peer-reviewed, journal of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC), an association of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). It is published on behalf of the ESC by Oxford Journals, a division of Oxford University Press.

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SOURCE: European Society of Cardiology (ESC)