Walking lowers risk of death for older women

OLDER women who clock up at least 4000 steps just one or two days a week live longer, a study found.

- BY STEPHEN BEECH

They are also less likely to get heart disease, say scientists.

The study, published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine, examined how many steps older women take and how often they hit the daily step targets in a week.

US researchers found those who took 4000 steps on one or two days a week had a 27 per cent reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease and 26 per cent reduction in risk of death compared with those who did fewer steps. The study also found the number of steps rather than any daily pattern of steps was tied to the risk reductions.