Washington: People who take more steps daily, as tracked by their watch, have lower blood pressure on average than those taking fewer steps, suggests a study. Researchers analysed data from 638 study participants who were asked to wear an Apple Watch daily and record their blood pressure at home weekly. Over the course of the study, participants’ average systolic blood pressure was 122 mm Hg and average diastolic blood pressure was 76 mm Hg, levels that are considered normal to slightly elevated.
“Measuring habitual physical activity in community-based settings in this way distinguishes our study from prior studies that have looked at either self-reported physical activity or used accelerometers to measure daily activity for only a short amount of time, usually about a week,” said Mayank Sardana, MD, a clinical fellow at the University of California, San Francisco. Although the study was observational and does not show cause and effect, the findings align with previous research suggesting that being more physically active can help lower blood pressure.
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