Brisk walking pace could slash risk of heart rhythm problems, study suggests

Walking at a brisker pace could slash the risk of heart rhythm problems, according to a study.

The findings “suggest brisk walking may be a safe and effective exercise to reduce arrhythmia”, which causes the heart to beat too quickly or too slowly, researchers said.

A team led by academics from the University of Glasgow analysed data from 420,925 people from the UK Biobank whose walking speed was available from questionnaire responses.

A slow pace was defined as less than three miles an hour, while an average pace was three to four miles an hour and a brisk pace was more than four miles an hour.

Some 221,664 people reported walking at an average pace, with 171,384 reporting a brisk walking pace.

Over a period of 13 years, some 36,574 people developed heart rhythm problems.

Their conditions included atrial fibrillation (AF) – when the heart’s upper chambers beat irregularly and too fast – as well as an abnormally slow heartbeat, and ventricular arrhythmias, or when an abnormal heart rhythm starts in the lower chambers.

Heart rhythm problems can increase the risk of stroke, heart failure, and cardiac arrest if left untreated.

They happen when there’s a fault with the electrical system that makes the heart beat and can also be caused by conditions like high blood pressure, heart attacks, or some medicines or viruses.

After taking demographic and lifestyle factors into account, researchers found an average or brisk walking pace cut the risk of heart rhythm problems by 35% and 43% respectively, compared to those who reported walking at a slow pace.

The risk of AF was slashed by almost half (46%) among those who walked the fastest, the study suggests.

Researchers said the findings, published in the journal Heart, “reinforce the promotion of faster walking pace” in exercise recommendations.

Data on the amount of time spent walking was available for 81,956 people in the study.

Some 4,117 of these people went on to develop arrhythmias during the follow-up period.

Researchers found that spending more time walking at an average or brisk pace was linked to a 27% lower risk of developing problems.

The team added: “This study is the first to explore the pathways underpinning the association between walking pace and arrhythmias, and to provide evidence that metabolic and inflammatory factors may have a role: walking faster decreased the risk of obesity and inflammation, which, in turn, reduced the risk of arrhythmia.”