Walking 5,000 Steps A Day Can Cut Death Risk By 40% In Cancer Survivors, Study Finds

New York: Engaging in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity like walking may be key to warding off death risk among postmenopausal women with a history of cancer, according to a study. 

The study showed that more daily steps and more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were associated with a progressively lower risk of all-cause mortality. The greatest benefit was seen among participants who logged 5,000–6,000 steps per day, and their risk of all-cause mortality was reduced by 40 per cent.

Each additional 2,500 steps per day was also incrementally associated with a 34 per cent reduction in risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Cancer survivors are at an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

According to the American Heart Association, exercise training is an essential part of cardiac rehabilitation and recovery after cancer treatment. Exercise therapy can help to reduce cardiovascular toxicity during cancer treatment.

“Encouraging cancer survivors to be more active, sit less, and take more steps every day could be a feasible approach for prolonging survivorship and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease mortality,” said lead author Eric Hyde, a research analyst at the University of California, San Diego.

“Our study helps us to better understand potential physical activity behaviors of postmenopausal women in relation to cancer survival,” he added.

The study followed nearly 2,500 post-menopausal women between the ages of 63 and 99 years for about eight years with a history of cancers of breast, endometrial, colon, lungs, bladder, rectal, ovarian, and kidney, among others. The greatest benefit from moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was seen among participants with at least one hour per day, which reduced all-cause mortality risk by 40 per cent and cardiovascular disease mortality risk by 60 per cent.

However, significant reductions in risk were also evident at amounts far below one hour per day, the researchers noted. Every 102 minutes of sitting time per day was associated with a 12 per cent increased risk of all-cause mortality and a 30 per cent higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

“Risk reductions were even evident when participants walked fewer than 5,000 steps per day, half of the often touted 10,000 steps per day threshold,” Hyde said.

“Daily steps are an important measure because they are easily understood by the public, can be at any intensity level, and are recorded on wearable devices like smartwatches that are increasingly being worn by all.”

The research was presented at the American Heart Association’s meeting held in New Orleans, US.