People with impaired glucose tolerance can reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease by 8% simply by walking an additional 2,000 steps a day, a large international study says.
Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), a precursor to type 2 diabetes, affects 79 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Worldwide, the figures are even more staggering - with researchers saying 344 million people are currently affected, and this number is set to rise to 472 million by 2030.
Led by Dr. Thomas Yates, from the University of Leicester in the UK, the latest study analyzed data collected from 9,306 adults from 40 countries.
The findings, published in The Lancet, suggest that an extra 20 minutes of moderate exercise, such as walking, reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke by 8%.
Dr. Yates explains:
"People with IGT have a greatly increased risk of cardiovascular disease. While several studies have suggested that physical activity is beneficially linked to health in those with IGT, this is the first study to specifically quantify the extent to which change in walking behaviour can modify the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular-related deaths."
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