Prevalence of Meeting Daily Step Count Recommendations in Cardiovascular Patients With and Without Metabolic Syndrome

Purpose We compared the prevalence of older cardiovascular patients with and without metabolic syndrome (MetS) who met the recommendations of walking more than 7000 and 10,000 steps/d, and we determined whether MetS status was significantly associated with meeting the daily step count recommendations before and after adjusting for demographic variables, comorbid conditions, and cardiovascular risk factors. Methods Older cardiovascular participants with MetS (n = 489) and without MetS (n = 154) were assessed on their walking for seven consecutive days with a StepWatch activity monitor. Results The MetS group took significantly fewer steps/d than the non-MetS control group (7307 ± 3625 vs. 8933 ± 4487 steps/d; P < .001). Only 47 % and 21 % of the MetS group walked ≥7000 and 10,000 steps/d, respectively, whereas 68 % and 34 % of the control group met these recommendations (P < .001 and p = .002, respectively). The odds of walking 7000 steps/d were 52 % lower in the MetS group (OR = 0.48, 95 %CI = 0.29-0.77, P = .003), and the odds of walking 10,000 steps/d were a 37 % lower trend (OR = 0.63, 95 %CI = 0.39-1.04, P = .069). Additionally, the odds of walking 7000 and 10,000 steps/d were lower in participants with reduced HDL-cholesterol (OR = 0.35, 95 %CI = 0.21-0.60, P < .001 and OR = 0.45, 95 %CI = 0.25-0.80, P = .007, respectively) and abdominal obesity (OR = 0.52, 95 %CI = 0.37-0.74, P < .001 and OR = 0.45, 95 %CI = 0.30-0.68, P < .001, respectively). Conclusions Older cardiovascular participants with MetS had an 18 % lower daily step count compared to those without MetS and were less likely to meet the 7000 and 10,000 steps/d recommendations. Additionally, older cardiovascular participants who were least likely to meet the daily step count recommendations included those who had reduced HDL-cholesterol and abdominal obesity.