8,000 steps once or twice a week cuts mortality risk: Study

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Walking 8,000 steps—about four miles (6.4 kilometers)—one or two days a week may significantly reduce the risk of an early death, according to a study released on Tuesday.

09 april 2023--While regular exercise is known to lower mortality risk, the study published in the journal JAMA Network Open looked at the health benefits of walking intensively only a few days a week.

For the study, the researchers from Kyoto University and the University of California, Los Angeles analyzed data from 3,100 American adults.

They found that those who walked 8,000 steps or more one or two days a week were 14.9 percent less likely to die over a 10-year period than those who never reached that mark.

For those who walked 8,000 steps or more three to seven days a week, the mortality risk was even lower—16.5 percent.

The health benefits of walking 8,000 steps or more one or two days a week appeared higher for participants aged 65 years and older.

"The number of days per week taking 8,000 steps or more was associated with a lower risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality," the researchers said.

"These findings suggest that individuals may receive substantial health benefits by walking just a couple of days a week."

For the study, the researchers used daily step counts from the 3,100 participants in 2005 and 2006 and examined their mortality data 10 years later.

Among the participants, 632 took 8,000 steps or more zero days a week, 532 took 8,000 steps or more one to two days a week and 1,937 took 8,000 or more steps three to seven days a week.

The average American walks 3,000-4,000 steps a day, according to the Mayo Clinic, which says walking for regular activity can reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and depression.

More information: Kosuke Inoue et al, Association of Daily Step Patterns With Mortality in US Adults, JAMA Network Open (2023). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.5174

Journal information: JAMA Network Open 

An appetite for life 

Researchers found that elderly people with fair or poor appetites had higher risks of mortality than those with good appetites.

11 sept 2014--A simple question about appetite can provide insights into old people's general health that may help reduce their risk of dying.

In a study published in the journal Appetite, Emeritus Professor Mark Wahlqvist from Monash University's Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine and the Monash Asia Institute, led a team investigating the connection between appetite and mortality.

"Appetite is generally regarded as one of the most important indicators of health," Professor Wahlqvist said.

The urge to eat is often reduced in the elderly, with many afflicted by the "anorexia of ageing". Chewing difficulties, general deterioration or the side-effects of medication may have an adverse effect on appetite, as may psychological factors such as loneliness or depression. Family circumstances and other environmental factors may also play a role.

"Factors of this kind lead to poor appetite and related poor health," Professor Wahlqvist said.

"We found that elderly people with fair or poor appetites had higher risks of mortality than those with good appetites."

The study, based on data from more than 1800 independently living Taiwanese over the age of 65, found that those who had poor appetites consumed a less diverse diet than others, with a consequently lower intake of energy, protein, vitamins and other nutrients.

It also showed appetite to be a reliable predictor of mortality, Professor Wahlqvist said, but one that opened up the potential for helpful intervention.

"Poor appetite may be a valuable early indicator of incipient nutritionally related disorders and disease, and of premature mortality."

Poor appetite does not directly bring about death: it's the resulting poor diet that causes the harm.

"Knowledge of old people's appetite therefore has considerable potential to be useful in both clinical and community settings, and should be part of an integrated approach to diet that underpins a healthy old age," Professor Wahlqvist said.

Provided by Monash University

Mobility explains the association between social activity and mortality risk in older people

Social activity and health correlate in old age, but less is known about what explains this association. The results of a study carried out in the Gerontology Research Center showed that part of the association between social activity and mortality was mediated by mobility among older men and women. Of other potential mediators, having less depressive symptoms and better cognitive functioning are merely prerequisites for social activity.

01dec 2013--"The health-enhancing influences of social activity may be partly explained by better mobility among persons who are socially active. Moreover, social activity may maintain mobility and thus decrease mortality risk, as many social activities also include physical activity," says Katja Pynnönen, a PhD student from the University of Jyväskylä, Department of Health Sciences.

Collective social activity researched in this study included, for example cultural activities, acting in organizations, travelling, physical activity in groups, and dancing. When participating in these kinds of activities, a person acts together with other people and may experience a sense of belonging to a group and a feeling of being liked and accepted.

Helping others in various daily tasks is an example of productive social activity which may give feelings of doing good and being useful.

"Good cognitive functioning and having less depressive symptoms seemed to be prerequisites for social activity. Thus, it is important to recognize and take into account those older people who have memory problems and are melancholy, and may need extra support to participate in social activities," says Pynnönen.

The study is part of the Evergreen project carried out in the University of Jyväskylä. In 1988, 406 men and 775 women aged 65–84 years took part in face-to-face interviews. Data on mortality were drawn from the population register.

More information: Do mobility, cognitive functioning, and depressive symptoms mediate the association between social activity and mortality risk among older men and women? Pynnönen Katja, Törmäkangas Timo, Rantanen Taina, Lyyra Tiina-Mari , European Journal of Ageing, October 2013 DOI: 10.1007/s10433-013-0295-3

Provided by Academy of Finland

Poor literacy skills linked to increased mortality risk among older people

One in three older people who have difficulty reading and understanding basic health related information may be at increased risk of death, concludes a study published in the British Medical Journal today.

19 march 2012--The findings have important implications given rising levels of long term conditions and the UK government's plans for patients to become responsible and active partners in their care.

Poor literacy skills are already associated with a wide range of adverse health outcomes. Much of the existing research into health literacy (being able to apply reading skills and basic knowledge in a health context) has been conducted in the US. Low health literacy is associated with less knowledge of chronic diseases, poorer mental and physical health, limited use of preventive services, and higher rates of admissions to hospital.

However, the scale of literacy problems in older adults in England is not known.

So a team of researchers at University College London set out to investigate the relationship between health literacy and mortality in older adults in England, irrespective of known risk factors like age, socioeconomic position and pre-existing illness.

The study involved 7,857 adults aged 52 years and over who took part in the second wave (2004-5) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). Participants completed a test of functional health literacy, which assessed understanding of written instructions for taking an aspirin tablet. Deaths were monitored until October 2009.

A total of 621 deaths occurred during follow up: 321 (6%) in the high test score group, 143 (9%) in the medium group and 157 (16%) in the low group.

One in three adults was unable to completely understand the medicine label instructions, indicating limited health literacy.

Adults with the lowest health literacy scores were more than twice as likely to die within five years as those with the highest scores. Differences in age, socioeconomic position, and general health at the start of the study accounted for less than half of the increased risk.

Even after adjusting for measures of cognitive (mental) function, low health literacy was still a significant predictor of mortality.

This study suggests that a third of older adults in England have difficulties reading and understanding basic health related written information. Those with the poorest understanding are at greatest risk of mortality, say the authors.

The findings should remind all healthcare professionals to adopt effective communication techniques for patients with low health literacy, they conclude. At a broader level, the design and delivery of health related services for older adults in England "should be sensitive to the limited health literacy capabilities within this population."

Provided by British Medical Journal

Health Care Literacy Might Affect Mortality Rates Of Elderly U.S. Residents, Study Suggests

27 Jul 2007 People ages 65 and older who have difficulty comprehending basic health-related material such as prescription bottles and appointment slips are more likely to die within six years than people who can understand the information, according to a study published Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the AP/Boston Herald reports (AP/Boston Herald, 7/24). The study, conducted at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine and led by internist David Baker, involved 3,260 Medicare beneficiaries in managed care plans in five cities. The beneficiaries were interviewed in 1997, and information was collected about their race, ethnicity, education, income, weight, chronic medical conditions and health-related behaviors such as smoking and exercise (USA Today, 7/23). Beneficiaries also were given a test to evaluate their ability to understand appointment slips, prescription labels and instructions on how to prepare for an X-ray. The study found that one-fourth of the beneficiaries were considered medically illiterate. According to the study, nearly 40% of those considered medically illiterate died by the conclusion of the study in 2003, compared with 19% of those in the medically literate group. After factoring in beneficiaries' health at the beginning of the study and other variables, researchers found that medically illiterate beneficiaries were 50% more likely to die than those who were medically literate -- a number "much higher" than the researchers expected, Baker said. According to Baker, the inability to understand medical information and instructions makes it difficult for beneficiaries to manage chronic conditions, which can lead to more serious health problems. Joanne Schwartzberg, director of aging and community health at the American Medical Association, said that evidence shows that as many as 90 million U.S. residents have trouble understanding medical information (AP/Boston Herald, 7/24). An abstract of the study is available online.