Optimal Number of Steps per Day to Prevent All-Cause Mortality in People With Prediabetes and Diabetes

OBJECTIVE We aimed to examine the dose-response associations between the number of steps per day and all-cause mortality among adults with prediabetes and diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This prospective study used data from 1,194 U.S. adults with prediabetes and 493 with diabetes for whom accelerometer-derived steps per day could be retrieved. Mortality was ascertained through the National Death Index (February 25, 2019). Splines were used to assess the dose-response associations between steps per day and all-cause mortality. RESULTS Over similar to 9 years of follow-up, 200 adults with prediabetes and 138 with diabetes died. Nonlinear associations akin to an L shape were observed. We estimated an optimal dose of similar to 10,000 steps per day to reduce the risk of all-cause mortality for both individuals with prediabetes and those with diabetes. CONCLUSIONS Accumulating more steps per day up to similar to 10,000 steps per day may lower the risk of all-cause mortality of adults with prediabetes and diabetes.

Automated summary

This study found that there is a non-linear association between the number of steps per day and all-cause mortality among adults with prediabetes and diabetes. Accumulating more steps up to approximately 10,000 steps per day can lower the risk of all-cause mortality.