he was an article in the journal of The Lancet Public Health published by Ding Ding et al in August 2025, 2025 titled “Daily steps and health outcomes in adults: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis ‘ The article is attached in PDF format for your record, and below is a summary for your convenience.
Published August, 2025
Summary:
Many people strive to reach 10 000 daily steps, an unofficial benchmark often promoted by fitness trackers. But a recent meta-analysis published in The Lancet Public Health, which incorporated results from 31 prior studies, found that walking just 7000 steps per day may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases, cognitive decline, and death. Compared with people who took 2000 steps per day, those who walked 7000 had a lower risk of all-cause mortality, dementia, falls, cardiovascular disease and mortality, depressive symptoms, type 2 diabetes, and cancer mortality. More modest step counts of about 4000 were also linked with better health. And even as benefits continued to increase beyond 7000 steps for some conditions, they leveled off for several outcomes. Although getting 10 000 steps may be a viable target for people who are particularly active, more attainable step goals also appear to have clinically meaningful benefits, the researchers stated.
Background
Despite the rapid increase in evidence from the past decade on daily steps and health-related outcomes, existing systematic reviews primarily focused on few outcomes, such as all-cause mortality. This study synthesized the prospective dose-response relationship between daily steps and health outcomes including all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, cognitive outcomes, mental health outcomes, physical function, and falls.
Methods
For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched PubMed and EBSCO CINAHL for literature published between Jan 1, 2014, and Feb 14, 2025, supplemented by other search strategies. Eligible prospective studies examined the relationship between device-measured daily steps and health outcomes among adults without restrictions on language or publication type. Pairs of reviewers (BN, KO, ML, and TN) independently did the study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment using the 9-point Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Hazard ratios (HRs) from individual studies were synthesized using random-effects dose-response meta-analysis where possible. Certainty of evidence was assessed using GRADE. This trial is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42024529706).
Findings
57 studies from 35 cohorts were included in the systematic review and 31 studies from 24 cohorts were included in meta-analyses. For all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease incidence, dementia, and falls, an inverse non-linear dose-response association was found, with inflection points at around 5000–7000 steps per day. An inverse linear association was found for cardiovascular disease mortality, cancer incidence, cancer mortality, type 2 diabetes incidence, and depressive symptoms. Based on our meta-analyses, compared with 2000 steps per day, 7000 steps per day was associated with a 47% lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR 0·53 [95% CI 0·46–0·60]; I²=36·3; 14 studies), a 25% lower risk of cardiovascular disease incidence (HR 0·75 [0·67–0·85]; I²=38·3%; six studies), a 47% lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality (HR 0·53 [0·37–0·77]; I²=78·2%; three studies), a non-significant 6% lower risk of cancer incidence (HR 0·94 [0·87–1·01]; I²=73·7%; two studies), a 37% lower risk of cancer mortality (HR 0·63 [0·55–0·72]; I²=64·5%; three studies), a 14% lower risk of type 2 diabetes (HR 0·86 [0·74–0·99]; I²=48·5%; four studies), a 38% lower risk of dementia (HR 0·62 [0·53–0·73]; I²=0%; two studies), a 22% lower risk of depressive symptoms (HR 0·78 [0·73–0·83]; I²=36·2%; three studies), and a 28% lower risk of falls (HR 0·72 [0·65–0·81]; I²=47·5%; four studies). Studies on physical function (not based on meta-analysis) reported similar inverse associations. The evidence certainty was moderate for all outcomes except for cardiovascular disease mortality (low), cancer incidence (low), physical function (low), and falls (very low).
Interpretation
Although 10 000 steps per day can still be a viable target for those who are more active, 7000 steps per day is associated with clinically meaningful improvements in health outcomes and might be a more realistic and achievable target for some. The findings of the study should be interpreted in light of limitations, such as the small number of studies available for most outcomes, a lack of age-specific analysis and biases at the individual study level, including residual confounding.