Extra 3,000 steps per day can lower blood pressure for older, sedentary adults
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Key takeaways:
- A pilot study showed an extra 3,000 steps per day lowered systolic and diastolic BP for older adults with hypertension.
- The 20-week walking intervention included a virtual coach to help adults reach step goals.
Older adults with hypertension who did not meet weekly physical activity goals had significant drops in systolic and diastolic BP after adding 3,000 steps per day to their usual routines, data from a pilot study show.
“Merely increasing steps by 3,000 per day from a baseline of 4,000 to a total of 7,000 steps per day reduced systolic BP by 7 mm Hg and diastolic BP by 4 mm Hg among older adults with high BP,” Linda Pescatello, PhD, distinguished professor of kinesiology at the University of Connecticut, told Healio. “The magnitude of these reductions in BP reduces the risk for heart disease by 18%, stroke by 36%, and CV and all-cause mortality by 11% and 18%, respectively. These results are also on par with BP reductions seen with first-line antihypertensive medications.”
Pescatello and colleagues analyzed data from 21 older adults with hypertension and overweight or obesity (mean age, 73 years; 13 women), all recruited via email from the Physical Activity and Aging Study, an ongoing prospective study of more than 900 older adults living in central Iowa. Participants did not have CVD at baseline and self-reported not meeting current physical activity guidelines of 150 minutes per week during the previous 3 months.
Participants completed a 20-week, single-arm, pilot e-health lifestyle walking intervention. The intervention consisted of two phases, with behavior change assistance provided during the first active phase (weeks 1 to 10) to help participants reach step goals and minimal assistance provided during the second self-maintenance phase (weeks 11 to 20). Participants received a pedometer, BP monitor, scale and questionnaires for at-home self-assessments; instructions also included paper handouts and a live video demonstration by an assigned health coach. The participants were prescribed a step count target equivalent to the increase in their daily lifestyle (baseline) step count by 3,000 steps per day on at least 5 days per week for 20 weeks.
“The participants were not instructed to achieve their step goals following strict requirements for time or intensity of walking, but they could accumulate steps throughout the day in any manner that fit their lifestyle,” the researchers wrote. “To reduce risk of injury, the participants were asked to only increase by 3,000 steps/day on 3 days of the week for the first week, with at least 5 days/week requested from week 2 to week 20. Other than increasing walking behavior, the participants were asked to maintain their usual lifestyle physical activity and dietary habits.”
The findings were published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease.
Within the cohort, 91% of participants completed the 10- and 20-week assessments. Participants wore the pedometer for 10 hours or more on 97% of the days over 20 weeks.
Researchers found participants increased average steps per day from 3,899 at baseline to 6,512 at 10 weeks and 5,567 at 20 weeks. After 20 weeks, both systolic BP (mean, 137 mm Hg to 130 mm Hg; P < .001) and diastolic BP (mean, 81 mm Hg to 77 mm Hg; P = .01) improved. The response was consistent among participants with (n = 8) and without (n = 13) antihypertensive medication.
“Walking is one of the most popular forms of physical activity among older adults,” Pescatello told Healio. “It is easy to do, can be done anywhere and other than a good pair of shoes, no equipment is needed. It is exciting that adding 3,000 steps per day among older adults with high BP can be as effective as structural exercise and antihypertensive medications in lowering BP.”
For more information:
Linda Pescatello, PhD, can be reached at linda.pescatello@uconn.edu.
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