Overview
- Older women who reached at least 4,000 steps on one or two days a week had a 26% lower all-cause mortality risk and a 27% lower cardiovascular mortality risk than those who never met that threshold.
- Reaching 4,000 steps on three or more days was linked to about a 40% reduction in all-cause mortality, while the cardiovascular reduction held at roughly 27%.
- Associations weakened after adjusting for average daily steps, pointing to total step volume as the primary driver rather than how often thresholds were met.
- The British Journal of Sports Medicine analysis followed 13,547 U.S. women (average age about 72) for nearly 11 years after one week of accelerometer measurement, documenting 1,765 deaths and 781 cardiovascular events.
- Researchers propose adding step metrics—such as a 4,000-step target—to the 2028 U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines, while noting the observational design, a single week of activity data, and lack of dietary information.