Daily Step Counts Linked to Lower Risk of Neurological Conditions
A large study using year-long wearable data found adults averaging under 5,000 steps daily had an 80% higher risk of dementia, Parkinson's, or stroke compared to those over 12,000 steps.
A major study links higher daily step counts to a significantly reduced risk of developing dementia, Parkinson's disease, stroke, or transient ischemic attack. Researchers from Florida Atlantic University presented the findings at the American Neurological Association’s 151st Annual Meeting, analyzing one year of fitness wearable data from 22,517 adults aged 40 and older in the All of Us Research Program.
Participants were followed for a year, with new neurological diagnoses tracked via electronic health records. The study grouped them by median daily steps into low, moderate, and high activity categories. During the follow-up, 343 participants developed one of the four target conditions.
The Step Count Breakdown
The analysis revealed a clear gradient in risk across activity levels. The low activity group, averaging around 4,800 steps per day, had an annual diagnosis rate of 3.8 per 1,000 people. This was nearly double the rate of the high activity group, which averaged about 12,600 steps and had a rate of 2.1 diagnoses per 1,000.
| Activity Group | Median Daily Steps | Annual Diagnosis Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Low | 4,800 | 3.8 |
| Moderate | 8,300 | 2.7 |
| High | 12,600 | 2.1 |
Compared to the most active group, the least active group had an 80% higher risk of a neurological diagnosis. This association was attenuated when accounting for other health factors, losing statistical significance in a fully adjusted model.
Underlying Health Factors
The research highlighted that step count does not exist in a vacuum. The low activity group had a higher average body mass index and greater prevalence of several comorbid conditions compared to the most active participants.
Depression emerged as the strongest single predictor for a neurological diagnosis in the study, with a risk more than double that of participants without depression. The study emphasized recruiting historically underrepresented populations and used sustained, objectively measured activity data from wearables, which is considered more reliable than self-reported information from clinic visits.
Meet Popatbhai Kachhadia, the neurology resident at Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine who presented the findings, noted that the promise lies in using everyday life data to build a fuller picture of health beyond the clinic. The study is likely the first to use a full year of wearable data from the All of Us Research Program for this type of neurological risk analysis.
Practical Implications and Next Steps
For those tracking movement, smartphone apps for step counting are considered nearly as accurate as dedicated wearable fitness devices, according to separate research. The study did not establish causation between step count and neurological disease. Future research should consider the type and intensity of physical activity, not only volume. The findings show that while daily step counts are a useful correlate of neurological health risk, they are part of a complex interplay with broader health factors like weight, metabolic health, and mental health.
