Brisk walking linked to a lower risk of abnormal heart rhythms
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- Reviewed by Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Walking with extra pep in your step may lower your risk of atrial fibrillation and other heart rhythm abnormalities, suggests a study published May 2, 2025, by the journal Heart.
The study was based on data from nearly 82,000 people in the United Kingdom who provided information about their estimated walking speed in miles per hour (mph). Researchers defined walking pace as slow (less than 3 mph), average (3 to 4 mph) or brisk (more than 4 mph). During an average follow-up of 13 years, nearly one in 10 developed heart rhythm abnormalities, including atrial fibrillation (a rapid, irregular heart rate) and bradycardia (a slow heart rate). Compared with a slow pace, average and brisk walking paces were associated, respectively, with 35% and 43% lower risk of abnormal heart rhythms.
More than a third of the beneficial effect of a faster pace was likely due to the fact that walking faster lowers cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure and helps people maintain a healthy weight, according to the study authors.
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About the Author
Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
About the Reviewer
Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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