Faster Walking Pace Cuts Risk for Cardiac Arrhythmias
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, April 25, 2025 -- Average and brisk walking pace are associated with a decreased risk for cardiac arrhythmias, according to a study published online April 15 in Heart.
Pei Qin, Ph.D., from the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom, and colleagues assessed associations between self-reported and accelerometer-measured walking pace and incident cardiac arrhythmias. The analysis included self-reported data for 420,925 U.K. Biobank participants and accelerometer data for 81,956 participants.
The researchers found that compared with slow walking pace (<3 miles per hour), average and brisk walking pace (3 to 4 miles per hour and >4 miles per hour, respectively) were associated with significantly lower risks for all cardiac arrhythmias (hazard ratio [HR], 0.65 and 0.57, respectively), atrial fibrillation (HR, 0.62 and 0.54, respectively), and other arrhythmias (HR, 0.69 and 0.61, respectively). Just over one-third of the association between walking pace and all arrhythmias (36.0 percent) was mediated by metabolic and inflammatory markers. Associations were even stronger for women, those aged younger than 60 years, those with a body mass index <30, those with hypertension, and those with two or more long-term conditions.
"These new findings reinforce the promotion of faster walking pace in physical activity recommendations that walking at a brisk pace may have a role in secondary, as well as primary, prevention of cardiac arrhythmias, and provide evidence of higher-risk groups to target," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted April 2025
Read this next
Female PCPs Have Equal/Better Quality Outcomes Than Male PCPs
TUESDAY, May 20, 2025 -- Female primary care physicians (PCPs) in value-based payment models have equal or better quality outcomes and higher earning than their male counterparts...
Accurate Risk Prediction Model Developed for Pediatric Pneumonia
TUESDAY, May 20, 2025 -- An accurate risk prediction model has been developed for children younger than 14 years with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), according to a study...
AAP Updates Guidelines for Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis Management
MONDAY, May 19, 2025 -- In a clinical report published online May 19 in Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatrics presents updated guidance for the treatment of children...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.