Extra Steps May Help Lower Risk of Heart Attack - East Idaho News

Extra Steps May Help Lower Risk of Heart Attack

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Getty 122013 Pedometer?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1387536615589Craig Veltri/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Everyone knows an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but a new study shows an extra 2,000 steps can also keep the doc at bay.

An international study published in the medical journal Lancet looked at more than 9,300 people with heart disease who were also in the highest risk category for diabetes.

The researchers found that participants who added an extra 2,000 steps to their day lowered their risk for heart attack and stroke by 8 percent.

The study also found the benefit of walking to be cumulative — the more steps a person took, the more they reduced their risk.

According to the research, there was a distinct connection between walking and a lowered risk of heart attack even after taking into account body mass index, smoking, diet and medications taken.

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