Prevention & lipidsCohort study
Joint association of genetic risk and accelerometer-based step count with cardiovascular disease: a UK Biobank cohort study
- Prospective cohort study
- population-based
- UK Biobank
Authors' conclusion
High daily step count was associated with lower CVD risk in individuals with moderate and high genetic risk
Study context
- Population
- UK Biobank participants with valid accelerometer and genetic data, without prevalent cardiovascular disease (CVD) at baseline4,847 developed CVD
- Participants
- 84,286 participants
- Exposure
- Joint categories of genetic risk and accelerometer-measured daily step count
- Outcome
- Incident CVD (composite of coronary artery disease and ischaemic stroke)
- Follow-up
- Median 7.9 years
Main finding
Incident CVD
Hazard ratio
2.81
95% CI 2.27–3.46
P < 0.0001
By group
Low genetic risk and high step count
62 per 1,000
absolute risk
High genetic risk and low step count
174 per 1,000
absolute risk
High genetic risk and low step count vs Low genetic risk and high step count
HR 2.81 (95% CI 2.27–3.46); P < 0.0001
As reported in the abstract
- High genetic risk and low step count independently associated with higher CVD risk; no multiplicative interaction
- P for interaction = 0.46
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Dose-response of step count with CVD hazard
- Inverse dose-response up to 10,000 steps/day, then plateau in moderate and high genetic risk groups
Original publication
Joint association of genetic risk and accelerometer-based step count with cardiovascular disease: a UK Biobank cohort study. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 9 June 2026. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwag306
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it