Everyday Walking Linked to Lower Cardiovascular Risk

Just walking frequently appears to help lower cardiovascular risk factors—independent of other physical activity, according to research presented at the annual meeting of The Obesity Society, held October 20–24 in New Orleans.

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Investigators analyzed data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study to assess the relationship between walking and cardiovascular risk factors. While previous research shows that walking prevents weight gain, few long-term studies have been done to evaluate the effect of the activity on cardiovascular risks, according to Ningqi Hou, PhD, a researcher at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

CARDIA is a prospective study of about 4,700 people who were 18–30 years old at baseline, 1985–1986. Participants were recruited in Birmingham, Ala., Oakland, Calif., Chicago, and Minneapolis and have been followed for 20 years.

Using data from the 15-year follow-up of CARDIA participants, Hou and colleagues compared levels of walking and other physical activities, as well as such cardiovascular risk factors as lipid profiles, blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose and insulin levels. Walking was assessed by self-reporting and an assigned walking score based on an individual's physical activity history.

When controlling for other factors, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index, and socioeconomic status, researchers discovered a modest but significant association between walking and cardiovascular risk factors. Compared with those who didn't walk, individuals who walked >4 hours per week had higher HDL cholesterol and lower serum triglycerides and fasting insulin levels.

“The associations were still strong even when controlling for other non-walking physical activity,” Hou says.

Although the clinical effect of walking was not large, walking is a low intensity activity that should be encouraged among patients, Hou advises. “Walking is affordable, convenient, and easy to incorporate into a daily routine,” she adds. ▪