Bringing It Home: The Shift in Where Health Care Is Delivered

Women who averaged approximately 4400 daily steps had lower mortality rates than those who took about 2700 steps a day.• There was a dose response, particularly at the lower, or inactive, end of the spectrum.• There were additional declines in mortality among women who hoofed it more-but only up to about 7500 daily steps, beyond which the death rates leveled out.• Walking faster or slower didn't appear to affect mortality rates when the number of steps was factored in. A CaveatThis type of study can't definitively prove that walking more helps people live longer.It's possible that women in the study who were sick reduced their steps, for example.However, the researchers controlled for many factors that could have influenced the findings, including health status, age, diet, and lifestyle.They also reanalyzed the data, with similar results, after excluding women who may not have been in good health based on factors like diabetes, cancer, or underweight.