A landmark new study has found that walking more steps and at a brisker pace dramatically reduces the risk of major heart and vascular problems in people with high blood pressure, offering hope—and clear targets—for millions of Thais living with hypertension. The international research, published this week in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, analyzed over 36,000 people with high blood pressure and concluded that every additional 1,000 steps taken per day led to a 17% lower risk of suffering a serious cardiovascular event, such as heart attack or stroke, even for those who fell short of the widely touted 10,000 daily steps metric (Medical Xpress).
For Thai readers, where hypertension affects nearly a third of adults and cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of premature death (World Health Organization Thailand), these findings add urgency and optimism to public health messages that promote daily physical activity as a key to longer, healthier lives. High blood pressure places individuals at considerable risk: globally, it increases the chance of developing heart disease by almost 50%, stroke by 62%, and heart failure by at least 77%, according to recent global health estimates. Despite broad awareness efforts, many in Thailand remain unclear about exactly how much movement is needed to achieve real benefits—until now.
The study, supervised by a leading cardiovascular epidemiologist, drew data from more than 32,000 adults diagnosed with high blood pressure who agreed to wear accelerometers on their wrists for a week, tracking the number and speed of their steps. The average age of participants was 64 years, and researchers followed them for almost eight years. During this span—encompassing more than 283,000 person-years of detailed health data—nearly 2,000 heart attacks or strokes were recorded, offering an unusually comprehensive picture of long-term risk factors and outcomes (European Journal of Preventive Cardiology).
Key findings reveal that each 1,000-step increase per day correlated not just with a drop in overall heart events, but specifically with a 22% reduction in heart failure risk, a 9% dip in heart attack likelihood, and a remarkable 24% lower chance of stroke. For instance, adding 1,000 daily steps would statistically prevent 31.5 major cardiovascular events—such as heart attacks or strokes—per 10,000 people each year in this at-risk group.
But it’s not just quantity that counts: pace also matters. The study’s participants averaged about 80 steps per minute during their fastest 30 minutes of the day. Individuals who achieved this speed for half an hour daily enjoyed a 30% lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events than those who walked more slowly. Importantly, no evidence was found that walking or running at faster paces—over 130 steps per minute—caused harm, dispelling fears among older adults or those newly diagnosed with high blood pressure that more vigorous walking might be dangerous without prior training.
The research provides timely, concrete recommendations. As the study’s supervisor explains, “This study is one of the first to demonstrate a dose-response relationship between daily step count and major problems of the heart and blood vessels. In a nutshell, we found that, if you live with high blood pressure, the more you walk—and the faster—the lower your risk for future serious cardiovascular events. Our findings support the message that any amount of physical activity is beneficial, even below the widely recommended daily target of 10,000 steps.”
The researchers highlight that benefits increased steadily up to about 10,000 steps per day: steps above that level were associated with further lowered stroke risk but with diminishing returns for other outcomes. This is particularly relevant for Thailand’s rapidly urbanizing population, where sedentary lifestyles and limited safe green spaces have contributed to a surge of cardiac and metabolic diseases, especially among middle-aged and elderly residents in Bangkok and other major cities.
Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health has repeatedly called for simple, achievable action plans to fight the nation’s swelling chronic disease burden. This research helps crystallize those concepts into actionable goals: walking even modestly more than baseline—such as moving from 2,300 to 3,300 steps daily—yields measurable, life-saving results. Experts recommend using smartphones, fitness watches, or inexpensive pedometers for step counting, paired with time-tracked brisk walking sessions to motivate and measure improvement.
In addition to people with hypertension, the study also tracked a group of more than 37,000 individuals without high blood pressure. Encouragingly, similar reductions in cardiac and stroke risks were observed: every extra 1,000 daily steps was associated with a 20% lower risk of heart trouble, confirming that these principles benefit the general population as well.
Thai physicians and health educators will welcome these quantifiable targets, which align well with traditional beliefs regarding movement as medicine, reflected in practices such as morning group aerobics in public parks and the popularity of ramwong and line dance among older adults. The new evidence should prompt hospitals and clinics across Thailand to incorporate regular step-count counseling as part of routine hypertension management, especially for patients in urban or office-based occupations who may not realize how low their baseline activity is.
However, researchers have been careful to note the study’s limitations: all step and intensity data was collected only at the time of first enrollment, and subsequent behavior changes were not tracked. Similarly, as the sample was predominantly white and better educated, there may be differences in outcomes in more diverse populations such as Thailand’s, which includes wide variations in obesity, smoking, and alcohol consumption rates by region and ethnicity.
Additionally, the study does not prove causation, only strong associations between more/faster walking and lowered risk. Nevertheless, the advanced statistical methods used to control for “reverse causation”—whereby unwell people might both be less active and more likely to get sick—make the evidence extremely compelling for real-world health policy.
Looking ahead, these findings could catalyze updates to national health campaigns in Thailand, which often set physical activity guidelines but struggle to engage the estimated eight million residents living with uncontrolled high blood pressure. Public health leaders and local health promoters in all regions—from Bangkok to the Isan provinces and the southern peninsulas—can now confidently encourage step-counting and brisk walking as an effective, low-cost, and accessible preventative. This approach may spur innovative ideas like step challenges in schools, temples, or neighborhoods, and integration with the “Thai Health Card” system to reward consistent daily movement.
As urbanization, air conditioning, and motorized transport gradually reshape Thai lifestyles, reinforcing the importance of regular movement is more urgent than ever. Whether through lunchtime strolls along Bangkok’s riverside, brisk temple walks in Chiang Mai, or daily market shopping on foot in rural towns, every extra step—and every uptick in pace—truly counts.
For Thai residents, the message is clear: measure your daily steps with a phone or pedometer, strive to add at least 1,000 more than your usual average, and include a half-hour of brisk walking where possible. For older adults or those with severe hypertension, consult with healthcare providers before starting new exercise routines, but rest assured that even modest increases in walking are safe and effective.
To transform these findings into individual and community action, Thai readers can:
- Track daily steps using free phone apps or pedometers, with a goal to increase steps steadily week by week.
- Incorporate 30 minutes of brisk walking into daily routines—such as at parks, markets, or while commuting.
- Participate in family or community step-count competitions to sustain motivation.
- Encourage local temples, schools, and offices to create safe walking zones.
- Consult clinics or doctors, especially for those with pre-existing conditions, to tailor suitable exercise regimens.
Embracing these habits can dramatically decrease the burden of hypertension and heart disease in Thailand, improving millions of lives.
For further detail and the complete study, see the Medical Xpress report and the original publication in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.