Overview

• The meta-analysis published July 24 in Lancet Public Health synthesized data from 57 peer-reviewed studies of over 160,000 adults.
• Adults walking about 7,000 steps per day had approximately a 47% lower risk of death from all causes compared with those who walked 2,000 steps.
• The same step count was linked to a 47% reduction in cardiovascular mortality and a 37% drop in cancer deaths.
• The study found 7,000 steps also cut new cases of dementia by 38%, depression by 22%, type 2 diabetes by 14% and cancer incidence by 6%.
• Researchers noted that benefits rose steeply up to 5,000–7,000 daily steps, then tapered off, while even 4,000 steps yielded measurable health gains.